Introduction
For colleagues on Work and Pay you can
At Tesco we want to support parents. This document
outlines our policy regarding pregnancy and maternity
leave. It is subject to change from time to time so please
ensure you are reading the most up-to-date version.
We are committed to ensuring that you are told about your
maternity rights and receive the support you need at work
during your pregnancy, maternity leave and on your return
to work.
1. Who’s this policy for?
This policy is applicable to you if you or your partner are
thinking of having a baby, are pregnant or have given
birth. It is to be used as a reference to provide an
overview of the key facts. This policy doesn’t form part of
your contract and may be amended or withdrawn at any
time.
2. I’m pregnant, what do I need to do now?
a) Health & Safety
As soon as you feel comfortable to do so, let you manager
know you are pregnant. This is important as there may be
some health & safety considerations to make around your
role.
We will ensure pregnant colleagues are treated fairly, and
are protected from any health & safety risks. Your
manager will conduct a health and safety risk assessment
with you, within one week of you letting them know you’re
pregnant, and depending on the risks identified you will:
• Continue working in the same way, in the same role (if
there are little or no risks to you or your baby)
• Make reasonable adjustments to the tasks we are
asking you to complete
• Adjust working hours where medically necessary, or
• Move you to an alternative role.
In the unlikely event that we cannot make reasonable
adjustments to ensure a safe place to work, we will send
you home on full contractual pay.
Please speak to your manager if any problems arise during
your pregnancy that you believe are associated with work
and request a review of your health and safety risk
assessment.
b) Antenatal appointments
If you have an antenatal appointment during working time,
we will pay you for any time spent at, or travelling to/from
these appointments. Try to give your manager as much
notice as you can. We may ask to see evidence of your
Internal, Maternity, Version 8.1, Page 3 of 8 – December 2020
appointment.
upload evidence of this into the document’s section.
c) Performance
We will continue to manage your performance in the
normal way. This includes regular open and honest
conversations, progress reviews, career discussions and
supporting your performance where appropriate.
d) Ill-health
All sickness should be reported in line with the normal
absence processes and any sickness, including pregnancy
related sickness, is managed in line with our normal
absence processes. However, pregnancy related sickness
will be excluded from any absence calculations.
Sick pay entitlements, as outlined in the Sickness Absence
Policy, do not change as a result of you being pregnant.
However, managers can exercise their discretion to extend
company sick pay.
Circumstances where the extension of company sick pay
would be appropriate include but are not limited to:
• Miscarriage
• High blood pressure
• Severe pelvic pain
• Hyperemesis
• Gravidarum (severe morning sickness)
• Pre-eclampsia
Any extension to company sick pay will be reviewed on an
appropriate basis. The process to request an extension to
company sick pay is outlined in the Managers Guide to
Sickness Absence
The three day waiting period does not apply to you if you
are off work due to a pregnancy-related illness.
If you are off work ill due to a pregnancy-related illness
after the beginning of the fourth week before your due date,
your maternity leave will start automatically.
e) Travel
The likelihood of you needing medical attention can be
greater during pregnancy and we will not ask you to travel
to any area where medical services will be of doubtful
quality or where language or cultural differences may make
diagnosis or treatment more difficult.
Our travel insurance doesn’t cover pregnancy or childbirth
expenses within 2 months of your due date.
Where to find things

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................................. 3
1. Who’s this policy for? ......................................................................................................................................... 3
2. I’m pregnant, what do I need to do now? ....................................................................................................... 3
a) Health & Safety ................................................................................................................................................... 3
b) Antenatal appointments..................................................................................................................................... 3
c) Performance ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
d) Ill-health ............................................................................................................................................................... 3
e) Travel ................................................................................................................................................................... 3
f) Notice to take maternity leave .......................................................................................................................... 4
g) Miscarriage and stillbirth.................................................................................................................................... 4
3. What maternity leave can I have? ................................................................................................................... 4
4. Am I entitled to maternity pay? ......................................................................................................................... 4
5. What happens to my benefits when I’m on maternity leave? ...................................................................... 5
6. Can I work while I’m on maternity leave? ....................................................................................................... 5
a) Keeping in Touch days ...................................................................................................................................... 5
b) Right to work ....................................................................................................................................................... 5
7. What happens to my holidays, bank holidays and personal day? .............................................................. 5
8. Can I take shared parental leave? ................................................................................................................... 6
9. I’m pregnant whilst on maternity leave, so will I be eligible for further maternity leave and pay? ......... 6
10. What happens when I return to work? ............................................................................................................ 6
a) Health and Safety Risk Assessment ............................................................................................................... 6
b) Annual health checks......................................................................................................................................... 6
c) Breastfeeding ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Related material ......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Policy info .................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Policy owner: ............................................................................................................................................................... 8
Ownership and confidentiality .................................................................................................................................. 8

Internal, Maternity, Version 8.1, Page 2 of 8 – December 2020

Length of Service 5. What happens to my benefits when
by the qualifying I’m on maternity leave?
week Maternity Pay
The majority of your benefits will remain unchanged while
earnings*, whichever is
you are on maternity leave. You can find detailed
highest.
information about these on the Maternity Benefits page.
Followed by 14 weeks at half pay:
6. Can I work while I’m on maternity
• Paid at either half your normal leave?
contractual weekly rate of pay
or half your average weekly a) Keeping in Touch days
earnings*, whichever is
highest. You are able to work for up to 10 days while you’re on
maternity leave without this affecting your maternity leave
Followed by 11 weeks at the lower rate or pay. These days at work are called ‘Keeping in Touch’
of SMP. (KIT) days and can be taken as single days or a block of
days, as agreed with your manager.
You are not entitled to SMP from
Tesco. You may be entitled to a Any work carried out on a particular day, while on maternity
Maternity Allowance from Jobcentre leave, is classed as a KIT day. For example, if you were to
At least 26
Plus (or the Department of Work & work for only 1 hour on a day this will count as 1 KIT day.
weeks, but
Pensions). You will be paid your normal contractual pay for the hours
earnings are
below the LEL worked on a KIT day, in addition to any maternity pay you
However, we will pay you 2 weeks’
may be in receipt of.
contractual pay or average weekly pay,
whichever is greater. Any colleague that is on maternity leave can work a KIT
day, as eligibility for SMP is not a requirement.
If you leave
Tesco after the b) Right to work
end of the 15th You are entitled to 39 weeks’ SMP, this
week before your will be paid to you in a lump sum. If you have limited leave to remain and work in the UK and
Expected Week this is due to expire while you are on maternity leave, we
of Childbirth will write to you to inform you that you will need to provide
new documentation and attend a meeting. More
information about this can be found in the Right to Work in
*Average weekly pay for enhanced maternity pay is
the UK Policy.
calculated during your qualifying period, which is the two
pay periods prior to the qualifying date, and excludes any 7. What happens to my holidays, bank
extraordinary one-off payments such as bonuses, buy-outs
holidays and personal day?
or pay adjustments.

If your enhanced company maternity pay is lower than
SMP, you will receive SMP.
All work levels are entitled to the same maternity pay.
Maternity pay may be adjusted if a salary increase is
awarded to you while you’re on maternity leave.
Authorised deductions may continue to be taken from
maternity pay. For more information on deductions, please
visit the Maternity Benefits page.
If you work, or are planning to work, for a second employer
it is important you let your Manager know as this may affect
your eligibility for SMP from Tesco. For more information
on this, please click here.
While on maternity leave, you will continue to earn holidays
and bank holidays as normal. If you return from maternity
leave before the end of the holiday year, any remaining
holiday, bank holiday or Personal Day entitlement should
be used up by 31st March and will not be carried over or
paid up.
You could choose to:
• Take your holiday before you start your maternity
leave. This can allow you to leave work sooner.
You can use any holiday you’ve already earned or
the holiday that you will earn in the same holiday
year while on maternity leave;
• Take your holiday at the end of your maternity
leave to give you longer off work. For example,
after week 52 (as agreed with your manager);
• Take your holiday before the end of your maternity
leave to give you some money whilst you’re still
off. For example, after week 39 (in this case you

Internal, Maternity, Version 8.1, Page 5 of 8 – December 2020

 f) Notice to take maternity leave holiday accrual. However, this doesn’t include your normal
pay.
You should provide your MatB1 form and your ‘Notification
of Maternity Leave’ form to your manager no later than 15 4. Am I entitled to maternity pay?
weeks’ before your due date. If this is not possible, you
should inform us as soon as you are able to. The amount of maternity pay you are entitled to will depend
on:
We need 28 days’ notice if you want to change the start
date of your maternity leave. • Your length of service
• If you pay tax or National Insurance during a specific
g) Miscarriage and stillbirth eight week period we use to calculate pay (known as
the qualifying period)
In the unfortunate case of a miscarriage or stillbirth, we are
able to support you in the following ways: Payroll will calculate what maternity pay you are entitled to
and will write to you confirming this once you’ve started
your maternity leave. We may contact you while you’re on
Miscarriage We can support you with maternity leave, as indicated on the ‘Notification of
(before 24 weeks compassionate leave and Maternity Leave’ form.
of pregnancy) sick leave.
Please note that the Lower Earnings Limit (LEL) and
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), referred to in the table
Stillborn (at or
You are entitled to your full below, are set by the government and subject to change,
after 24 weeks of
maternity leave and pay. information on these values can be found at
pregnancy)
https://www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave. Your average
earnings during the qualifying period must exceed the LEL
Should your baby be born but passes away shortly after value at the point at which you start your maternity leave to
birth, you are entitled to your full maternity leave and pay, be eligible for SMP.
even if the birth is before 24 weeks of pregnancy.
To be eligible for Tesco’s enhanced maternity pay you
You can find more information about this in the Sickness must meet the eligibility requirements for SMP, the
Absence Manager’s Guide. additional service requirements described below and be
employed by Tesco.
3. What maternity leave can I have?
(N.B. The qualifying date is the 16th Sunday before the due
date on your MATB1, or the 15th Sunday if your due date
You can choose to take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave.
is a Sunday, the qualifying week refers to the week
You are legally obliged to take the first 2 weeks
beginning with the qualifying date.)
immediately after the birth of your baby.
Length of Service
The earliest you can start your maternity leave is 11 weeks
by the qualifying
before your expected week of childbirth. The latest you can
week Maternity Pay
start maternity leave is your due date. If your baby is born
before the due date you can work right up to the day your
You are not entitled to SMP from
baby is born. If you are in a period of holiday when your
Tesco. You may be entitled to a
baby is born, your holiday will end and your maternity leave Less than 26 Maternity Allowance from Jobcentre
will start. weeks Plus.
If you give birth before your maternity leave start date, just
You are entitled to 39 weeks’ SMP.
let your manager know as soon as you can. Should your
baby arrive early and you haven’t yet provided your The first 6 weeks is paid at 90% of your
26 weeks to 1
manager with your MATB1, it is possible to provide a letter average weekly pay followed by 33
year
from your doctor or midwife, or a copy of your baby’s birth weeks at the lower rate Statutory
certificate in order to start Statutory Maternity Pay. Maternity Pay.
We assume that you will take your full entitlement to
You are entitled to 39 weeks’ SMP,
maternity leave. If you would like to return earlier, you will
enhanced in the following way:
need to provide at least eight weeks’ notice of your
preferred return date. 1 year+ First 14 weeks at full pay:

During maternity leave, you will continue to receive the • Paid at either your normal
benefit of all contractual terms and conditions as if you contractual weekly rate of pay,
were still at work, such as company car allowance or or your average weekly
Internal, Maternity, Version 8.1, Page 4 of 8 – December 2020