UofG is enhancing its Maternity, Adoption and Paternity policies with effect from 1 September 2018. These include extensions to the existing ‘enhanced’ pay periods as well as the removal of the minimum service requirement in order to access the benefits. These improvements have been agreed by the University’s Senior Management Group (SMG) following consultation with the campus Trade Unions.

This means that from day one, all new staff joining the University will benefit from the enhanced pay periods, greatly improving the accessibility of the available benefits. This supports our ambitions to promote gender equality in line with the principles set out in Athena SWAN and recognises that many of our staff, by necessity, move between institutions during the early stages of their career.

Staff taking maternity or adoption leave will now benefit from 18 weeks of full pay, whilst the current choice of options will remain to offer flexibility around how the payments may be structured. This will leave a choice of 18 weeks full pay, or 9 weeks full pay and 18 weeks half pay. The existing statutory rules will remain in place with regards to eligibility for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Statutory Adoption Pay (SAP) and these statutory pay elements will continue to be paid as applicable.

Paternity pay is increasing by an additional week of full pay (equalling two weeks in total) so that those taking the two weeks of statutory paternity leave will no longer see any reduction in pay.  Access to this benefit will also no longer require a minimum length of service.

The new benefits will apply to parents of babies born (or adoptions taking place) from 1 September 2018. Staff already receiving enhanced maternity or adoption pay within the week beginning 3 September will receive additional pay in line with the new policy position and will be notified of this directly.

Future parents may also wish to read about the additional flexibility which can be achieved through the use of Shared Parental Leave.

Full details of the options and benefits available to parents can be obtained on the Parental Policies web pages or from the relevant local HR Team.

First published: 24 August 2018

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