Address:

3 Church Close

Merton, Bicester

Oxfordshire OX25 2NB

Telephone:

+44 (0)78 9183 9136

Email:

jayne@jme-hr.com

Contact JME

Statutory Maternity Pay

Statutory maternity pay (SMP) provides eligible women employees with up to 39 weeks’ paid leave around the period of childbirth. The first six weeks are paid at 90% of earnings; the remaining weeks are at the lower of 90% of earnings and a set rate. Some employees may be entitled to a further 13 weeks of unpaid leave.

Set rate of SMP from 4 April 2011 £128.73

Statutory Paternity Pay

Statutory paternity pay (SPP) is payable for two weeks to employees who meet the qualifying conditions. It is payable at the lower of 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings and the set rate.

Set rate of SPP from 4 April 2011 £128.73

Statutory Adoption Pay

Statutory adoption pay (SAP) is payable to employees who adopt a child provided that the qualifying conditions are met. It is currently payable for a maximum of 26 weeks at the lower of 90% of the employee’s average weekly earnings and the statutory adoption pay (SAP) rate. For adoption placements due on or after 1 April 2007, the first 39 weeks of adoption leave will be paid at the SAP rate, or 90% of average weekly earnings if these are less than the set rate of SAP.

Set rate of SAP from 4 April 2011 £128.73

Redundancy Pay

The statutory tables should be used to calculate redundancy entitlements. The amount of a week’s pay is £400 from 1 February 2011.

3. Additional Award

The additional award (of between 26 and 52 weeks’ pay) is made if an employer refuses to obey an order to reinstate or re-engage the employee without good reason.

The week’s pay is limited to the same maximum as redundancy pay, currently £380, £400 from 1st February 2011.

Unfair Dismissal Limits

Compensation for unfair dismissal comprises up to three elements:

Basic award
Compensatory award
Additional award

1. Basic Awards

Limits on Basic Awards

Period	Minimum limit if automatically unfair	Upper Limit
From 1 February 2011	£5000	£12000

2. Compensatory Award

The compensatory award itself comprises four elements:

estimated loss of wages to date of hearing
estimated future loss of earnings
loss of benefits and rights
loss of statutory rights

Period	Limit
From 1 February 2011	£68400

Compensatory Award

Statutory Payments

Tax Year	Lower Earnings Limit	SSP
2011/12	£105.00	£81.60

Statutory Sick Pay

Statutory sick pay (SSP) is paid by an employer to a sick employee for up to 28 weeks. It provides a fixed weekly amount of benefit to the employee.

Weekly Rates of SSP