Fixed term contract and pregnancy

[peanutbutter]

Hi I've an AP post until June 2020. However my husband and I are thinking of trying for a baby. I have 2 years continued service but can't get my head around the maternity leave policy.

It says "employees who have 12 months service and whose contract expires after 11th week before the expected week of confinement and before six weeks after the expected week on confinement"

If I was to get pregnant within the next month and my due date was in May would I be entitled to get my contract extended to get 52 weeks maternity leave?

I'd be grateful of any help in getting my head around this!

[workingmama]

Not going to be any help here, but there is pressure on UK employers to make the maternity policies re pay less opaque. There is the continual effort to stop women employees getting pregnant by hiding access to important information like this, and it does make me extremely cross. I hope you find the information you need. Good luck in your plans X

[lakeland]

If you have any NHS employment prior to this post, this will count towards your entitlement too.

[ell]

I have no idea what on earth what that means.

My advice would be to contact your Trust HR and get some clarity on this. Seeing as you're not pregnant it won't change anything in your employment, and I don't think they would be able to tell your manager that you'd asked or anything like that. Maybe ask if you can ask a hypothetical question in confidence?

[miriam]

Your contract will be extended to cover maternity leave. I think that bit you've cited means they can't legally let your contract end within the last 11 weeks of pregnancy or the first 6 weeks of maternity leave. If you've had 2 years continuous service then I'm pretty sure you will get standard NHS maternity pay.

[peanutbutter]

Thanks all for your replies! I might ring HR to ask hypothically what would happen but if they ask me my name etc I'm going to just hang up LOL