Maternity, paternity & family leave
Every statutory family leave and its pay: maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental, neonatal care and bereavement.
19 articles
Bereavement leave in the UK: an employer guide
A guide to bereavement leave in the UK: parental bereavement leave, time off for dependants, bereaved partner's paternity leave, pay and payroll.
Maternity pay and tax: what gets deducted
How maternity pay and tax work in the UK: SMP counts as earnings, so income tax and National Insurance come off through PAYE at £194.32 a week.
Statutory Paternity Pay: a UK employer guide
How Statutory Paternity Pay works for UK employers: the £194.32 rate, eligibility, the day-one leave right, notice rules, and how to reclaim from HMRC.
Statutory Adoption Pay explained for employers
A UK employer guide to Statutory Adoption Pay: the 39-week structure, the £194.32 rate, eligibility, notice and matching evidence, and HMRC recovery.
Shared parental leave: the employer guide
How shared parental leave works in the UK: 50 weeks of leave, 37 weeks of pay at £194.32, eligibility tests, curtailment, notice and payroll duties.
Enhanced maternity pay: an employer's guide
How enhanced maternity pay works for UK employers: topping up the £194.32 statutory rate, what HMRC recovers, tax, and clawback conditions.
The SMP qualifying week explained
What the SMP qualifying week is, how to work it out, and why it decides eligibility, average weekly earnings, and Small Employers' Relief.
How to reclaim Statutory Maternity Pay from HMRC
A step-by-step guide to reclaiming SMP from HMRC: the 92% and 109% rates, the EPS process, deadlines, and what to do when cash flow is tight.
Employer maternity pay obligations explained
What every UK employer must do for Statutory Maternity Pay: eligibility, rates, notice, records, and how to reclaim 92% or 109% from HMRC.
How Long Is Maternity Leave in the UK?
How long UK maternity leave lasts: the 52-week entitlement, 39 weeks of pay, the compulsory minimum, when it can start and how to change the return date.
Maternity Leave UK: The Complete Employer Guide
A complete guide to UK maternity leave: the 52-week entitlement, pay, notice rules, rights during leave, redundancy protection and how employers report it.
The SMP1 Form: When and How Employers Issue It
What the SMP1 form is, when an employer must issue it, the 7-day and 28-day deadlines, and how an employee claims Maternity Allowance instead.
Maternity Allowance UK: A Complete Guide
Maternity Allowance explained: the £194.32 and £27 rates, the 66-week test period, how to claim with form MA1, and how it differs from SMP.
SMP Calculator: How to Work Out Statutory Maternity Pay
How an SMP calculator works: the inputs, average weekly earnings, the two rates, part weeks and rounding, with a full worked example for 2026-27.
How Much Is Maternity Pay in the UK?
How much maternity pay is worth in the UK: the £194.32 statutory rate, enhanced contractual pay, Maternity Allowance, and what an employer recovers.
What Is Statutory Maternity Pay?
A plain guide to Statutory Maternity Pay: what it is, who qualifies, how long it lasts, employer duties and how it differs from Maternity Allowance.
How Much Is Statutory Maternity Pay?
How much Statutory Maternity Pay is worth in the 2026-27 tax year: the 90% rate, the £194.32 flat rate, total pay over 39 weeks and what employers recover.
How to Calculate Statutory Maternity Pay
A step-by-step guide to calculating Statutory Maternity Pay for the 2026-27 tax year, with worked examples, the AWE method and employer recovery rates.
Statutory Maternity Pay explained for employers
How Statutory Maternity Pay works: the 90% then £194.32 structure, who qualifies, what employers recover from HMRC and how SMP is reported.