Statutory Maternity Pay and Maternity Rights

The new EC Directive on Pregnant Workers was implemented with effect from October 1994, and has had a significant impact on statutory maternity pay (SMP) and maternity rights.

Employers are legally bound to adhere to the new rules and no personnel officer, administrator or manager can afford to be ignorant of the latest maternity provisions. This up-to-date guide provides all the information needed to keep employers up to date on the new law for SMP.

It sets out how to handle all aspects of SMP, the new 14 weeks' maternity leave and longer maternity absence.

The law regarding unfair dismissal, redundancy and new discrimination is covered, and example legal cases illustrate key points, sample charts, letters and forms. Topics covered include: summary of the scheme; qualifying conditions; scope of the scheme; working out average earnings; stages of pregnancy; pay period; issues affecting entitlement; what to pay; medical evidence; appeals; records; mistakes; and offences and penalties.