The purpose of this policy is to provide time off for female employees of NCU Training, who are pregnant, have recently given birth, or who are breastfeeding up to the 26th week after the birth of a child.
The policy covers all female employees who are pregnant, have recently given birth or who are breastfeeding. It includes part-time and full-time employees. It also covers male employees in the event of the mother’s death.
An employee is entitled to paid leave for antenatal medical appointments before the birth and postnatal medical appointments for the first 16 weeks following the birth.
An employee must notify her Manager in writing of her intention to take maternity leave no later than four weeks before her maternity leave begins. The employee must produce a medical certificate confirming the pregnancy and giving the expected date of confinement. A pregnant employee is entitled to 26 weeks paid maternity leave less Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection entitlement on completion of twelve months service in the company. The employee must take at least two weeks leave before the expected birth of the baby and no less than four weeks after the birth of the baby. An employee is entitled to an additional 16 weeks maternity leave in addition to the 26 weeks, should she require it but there is no payment from NCU Training or Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection for this additional leave. All conditions of employment including full holiday and public holiday entitlement are retained during maternity leave.
If an employee wishes to take additional maternity leave, she must notify her Manager in writing of this intention, preferably when she gives written notification of her intention to take maternity leave or otherwise no later than four weeks before the originally set date of return to work.
An employee must notify her Manager in writing of her intention to return to work and the intended date of return, not later than four weeks before her intended return. This notification requirement is essential and should not be overlooked.
An employee, who is pregnant, has recently given birth, or who is breastfeeding, will not be placed in any job that is a risk to her health and safety or the health and safety of her child. If such a risk exists, it will be NCU Training’s policy to remove the risk, assign the employee to other suitable employment, or place the employee on health and safety leave. To ensure that NCU Training can take steps to ensure that the employee is protected at work, she is requested to advise the Manager in confidence of her pregnancy as soon as possible after becoming aware of this.
An employee will be paid for the first 21 days of health and safety leave. Thereafter she will be entitled to receive benefit from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Health and Safety leave ends on commencement of maternity leave, if the employee is pregnant, or ends not later than 26 weeks after the birth if the employee is breastfeeding.
Female employees are entitled to paid time off to attend one set of ante-natal classes (other than the last three classes in a set) in respect of one pregnancy. An expectant father is entitled, on a once-off basis, to attend the last two ante-natal classes before the birth of his child. The employee must provide two weeks notice and provide appropriate documentation giving the dates and times of the classes to his/her Manager.
Employees will be entitled to return to work to the same position and under the same terms and conditions of employment following maternity leave, where feasible. Where this is not feasible, then the company is committed to providing suitable alternative employment. Paid maternity leave will count as reckonable service.
Breastfeeding mothers are permitted to avail of a reduction in working hours for up to six months after the birth of their child to facilitate breastfeeding. This reduction may equate to up to one hour per day. Part-time employees have a pro-rata entitlement.
Subject to the company’s agreement, a mother has the option of splitting or postponing the period of maternity and/or additional maternity leave in the unfortunate event of the hospitalisation of her child. Maternity Leave may only be postponed if the employee has been already taken at least 14 weeks leave. Four of these must have been taken after the birth of their child. The maximum period of postponement is six months. During the postponement, the staff member will be expected to attend work as normal.
Where an employee has been permitted to postpone her leave and then falls ill, she will automatically be deemed to have resumed her leave. Should the employee wish to avail of sick leave in these circumstances, then she may apply to do so. However, she then forfeits her right to any outstanding postponed leave.
In the event of illness, a mother has the right to terminate her additional maternity leave and transfer to sick leave. If a staff member is permitted to transfer, she will forfeit her right to any additional maternity leave not taken at the date of the commencement of the sick leave. Request for termination and acceptance of termination must be in writing.