PROGRAMME

Legal background

• UK and European policy objectives

Issues during pregnancy

• recruitment
• time off for ante-natal care
• health and safety: risk assessments; alternative work
• pregnancy-related illness
• promotions and performance appraisals
• dismissals and redundancy
• sex discrimination issues

Maternity leave

• qualifying for leave
• ordinary and additional maternity leave
• keeping in touch days
• contractual position during OML and AML
• employers’ own schemes
• dismissals and redundancy during leave

Maternity pay

• qualification for statutory maternity pay (SMP)
• calculating entitlement
• employee pay and benefits

Returning to work

• job, pay, status, notification
• part-time and flexible working requests
• health and safety issues on return to work
• failure to return

Paternity pay and leave

• statutory paternity pay – qualification and rates
• paternity leave – how much and when
• plans for new additional paternity pay and leave

Adoption rights and issues

• statutory adoption pay and leave
• step and foster adoptions
• overseas adoptions

Parental and dependant leave

• the right to parental leave
• right to time off to care for dependants