chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

As some know my beautfiul Missus is on maternity leave. This is until September. Her employers (a bacon factory, not providing the name) are making many employees redundant. Nat was offered the chance of voluntary redundancy a couple months back which she was delighted at, mainly because she hates her crappy factory job and she planned on resigning after her ML was up in Sept.
So the company sorted it all out and calculated her payment. This was for x amount of years service and outstanding holidays etc (which run from April 1st-March 31st).
She is getting statutory materity pay (about £123 a week) and we were worried once her finish date of April 8th was reached we would have a palarva sorting out how she would get either SMP or maternity allowance (as technically she would be unemployed).
Now the sum offered was right (approx. £860). But she has had a call this morning saying that if she was to be finished on April 8th then she would receive above amount plus all her remaining SMP in one go - meaning a taxable lump sum of around £3,200 (SMP) plus the undeductable redundancy pay. Basically she would lose a lot of the SMP through tax as every week she gets it, the £123 just scrapes the tax band meaning she pays literally pence on it. But I figured out on a £3,200 lump sum, she'd see maybe 60-70% of it max
So this is where the suspicion comes in. Her employers called her and said what they are going to do is keep paying her her £123 a week and make her redundant in September when her maternity leave finishes. Thats quite good in a way in that we will receive her SMP every week without hassle through her wages as she's still employed, but better still with her new holidays starting 1st April, she'll have a much bigger payment. She gets 25 days a year plus bank holidays so would be due say 15-17 extra days holidays on top of her recalculated redundancy pay based on length of service.
So in essence we have obviously agreed this is pretty damn good as we are only gonna buy a new sofa with the redundancy anywho so can wait 5-6 months extra for that. Thinking the new redundancy will be in the region of £1,500-1,600 instead of £860
So what I don't get is why the company are doing this? Is it because Nat is on ML and can appeal/make it very difficult for her employers due to her rights? Remembering she was offered voluntary and agreed.
She's with Unite union so I was thinking of contacting them to see what the details are about this and whether or not her employers could muck this up later on. I want her to have this change in writing so she has proof. The original end date and cease of employment is in writing along with the figure but as said above the change was only notified this morning by phone.
It may sound greedy but I want her to have every penny she's entitled to as she has worked her **** off for nearly 5 years with a mainly lazy foreign workforce/usual chav nesbits She is better than this so I'm glad she's kicking it in.

Just curious as to others experiences on matters like this.

Tidgy

doesn't the money come from the governemt for maternaty pay?

paulr

When did she start her maternity leave. Afaik you cannot be made redundant while on maternity leave, they have to wait for her to come back.

A couple more points. Redundancy is worked out on full years, so she will only get more money if it makes up another year. Second thing regarding the extra holidays, be careful they dont add them onto her maternity leave. A friend of mine was made redundant recently and her maternity leave ended in January. They made her redundant in March meaning February was taken as a holiday (thereby using all her holidays up) She never realised this until it was too late.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

I would say bite their arm off mate.
And as far as I know, the government don't pay maternity pay, they just state what the employer has to offer.
Marie is quite lucky as working for the Police she is entitled to around 75% of her normal pay over the 9 months that she is having off.
I also get 1 week at full pay and then can either take another week as holiday or stat paternity pay.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Aye, but like SSP, paid through the employer. The issue being if she was made redundant, even voluntarily, she'd need this and that form to fill in and a horrible trip to the job centre to sort it all out. She would have been paid maternity allowance which is the same amount but paid differently. A faff avoided.

Ah, good you mentioned that. I will make sure she gets an official leave date and the holidays are not added onto this. She went on ML on Dec 27th and has 39 weeks all in so calculating around Sept to finish. I'm thinking they may have realised she can't me made redundant (unless the whole place shuts down) even voluntarily I think, so maybe this is why they have done this. If so, it's obviously more beneficial financially for us as well as less grief re. her SMP.

Same here. I'm taking one week full pay, one week at SMP and 2 weeks holiday.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

IF, and only if, you have it in writing, I'd ****** their arm off for it.

mamoon2

The government do pay it yes! The employer gets paid in a lump sum. I've just received a lump sum for an employee on maternity leave and will receive a further lump sum in the new tax year

Gordo

Errrr - she's accepted VOLUTARY redundancy and you want to moan about it? Blimey.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Er sorry where the **** did I say I was moaning about it. Read the original post again sunshine... It states I'm suspicious as her employers seem to be taking a more expensive (for them) route for redundancy. Now if you haven't anything positive to add to the thread...

Gordo

Sorry, I mis-read your post.

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

No worries, I over reacted a little myself. Nobodies perfect eh?

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

In fact, Andy was in such a mood last night that he chucked boiling water all over Natalie..........He'll TELL you she spilled it on her hand herself, but we know...........

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Damn - he's onto me

Glowplug

iTrader: (8)

Get on to Unite Andy.
They'll put you right. Get your monies worth out of them.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Unite? They HAVE to be useful for something other than feathering their leader's nest, surely? Surely?

chocolate_o_brian

iTrader: (22)

Aye. I keep out all the politics bollocks and use them for my personal gain if that makes sense. I.E. not interested in this or that about protests etc, but if I have issues at work or Nat does then I will use their services to our benefit. Militant - yes but a lot better than other shambles like GMB or USDAW etc.