DPD Ireland – Maternity Leave Policy
All employees who are pregnant, who have recently given birth, or who are breastfeeding up to the 104th week after the date of confinement are covered by the Maternity Protection Acts 1994 and 2004. In certain circumstances, male employees are also covered by this piece of legislation
This policy informs all employees covered by the Acts of their rights and entitlements while in the employment of the organisation. All full-time and part-time employees are covered by this policy.
Entitlements and conditions
Under our maternity leave policy, you have the following entitlements:
you are entitled to 26 consecutive weeks’ maternity leave, of which at least two weeks must be taken before the expected date of the birth and at least four weeks taken after the date of the birth of your child;
you must give the organisation at least four weeks written notice of your intention to take maternity leave and also forward a medical certificate confirming your pregnancy and specifying the expected date of the birth of your child. The organisation encourages you to inform your manager as soon as you are aware you are pregnant – this enables the organisation to ensure that the environment is safe and supportive of all your pregnancy requirements during this time;
you must give the organisation, in writing, at least four weeks’ notice of your intention to return to work;
you are also entitled to take additional maternity leave of up to 16 weeks immediately after the end of your maternity leave;
you must inform the organisation, in writing, of your intention to take additional maternity leave not later than four weeks before the end of the 26-week normal maternity leave period;
if you are breastfeeding and are within 104 weeks after the birth of your child, you may be entitled to limited time off/breaks for breastfeeding purposes.
You must apply for maternity leave and additional maternity leave by filling out the required forms via People HR. These can be found in the Logbook Section. Once the form is submitted, it will be sent to your Manager for approval. We have created a video tutorial on how to apply for maternity leave. This can be viewed Here.
We have also created a video tutorial on how to apply for extended maternity leave. This can be viewed Here.
Ante-natal/post-natal medical care
You are entitled to paid time off for medical appointments related to the pregnancy. Written notification must be given to your manager/HR with the date and time of the appointments at least two weeks in advance. This can be done by booking an 'Other Event' via People HR. You must be able to produce a certificate/ record that the visit took place. The organisation requests that, where possible, the appointments are at the beginning or at the end of the working day. If the appointment finishes before the end of the working day, you must return to work.
Ante-natal classes
Pregnant employees are entitled to paid time off work to attend one set of ante-natal classes (other than the last three classes). You must book this via People HR for approval by your Manager/Supervisor. This is a once-off entitlement. An expectant father is entitled, on a once-off basis, to paid time off to attend the last two classes before the birth. Written notification must be given to your manager/HR with the dates and times of each class at least two weeks before the first class.
We have created a video for you to show you how to book any maternity related appointments/classes via People HR, Other Events. You can view this Here.
Breastfeeding
"Breastfeeding" means breastfeeding a child or expressing breast milk and feeding it to a child immediately or storing it for the purposes of feeding it to a child at a later time.
An employee who is breastfeeding will be entitled to work breaks or a reduction in working hours equivalent to one hour per day for the purposes of breastfeeding.
Where suitable facilities are available in the workplace, the employee will be able to take rest breaks. Where there are no such facilities, the employee may agree of a reduction in working hours.
Breastfeeding breaks or a reduction of hours will comprise of either:
● one 60-minute period per day
● two 30-minute periods per day
● or three 20-minute periods per day
The employee’s manager will discuss the employee’s with needs and will agree on the appropriate option from those listed above.
The employee will receive full pay during breaks or when hours are reduced for breastfeeding purposes.
Part time employees will be entitled to a pro-rata benefit to that provided to full-time employees.
The entitlement may be availed of for up to 104 weeks after the date of confinement, provided you inform your manager of your intention when you are advising the organisation of your intention to return to work. You will be paid during this time.
Annual leave and public holiday benefit
While on maternity leave and additional maternity leave you will retain your full entitlement to annual leave and public holiday benefit. You will be notified of the number of public holidays for which you are entitled to benefit and will agree with your manager when these paid days will be taken.
Any request for annual leave must be made as per the organisation’s annual leave policy. Such requests will be treated in the same way as an annual leave application from any other employee, taking account of business and resourcing issues.
Health and safety leave
The organisation wants to ensure staff remain safe and health during and after pregnancy.
The organisation has a duty of care to assess any risk to an employee who is:
pregnant
has recently given birth; or
is breastfeeding.
Therefore, if you are pregnant, it is imperative that you inform your manager, so that the organisation can carry out a risk assessment as soon as possible. If a risk is identified and cannot be removed from the work process, then the organisation will take the following steps to ensure that you are no longer exposed to the risk:
temporarily adjust your working conditions or working hours, to the extent needed to avoid the relevant risk;
if step (a) is not feasible, then you will be transferred to other work, or, in the case of night-workers, to day-work;
if step (b) is not feasible, then you will be given health and safety leave.
The organisation will pay for the first 21 calendar days of the health and safety leave. Thereafter a social welfare benefit may apply.
If you become aware that you are no longer vulnerable to the risk for which you have been granted health and safety leave, you are obliged to inform the organisation in writing of the fact, as early as reasonably practicable.
Likewise, if a risk no longer exists, or if the organisation is in a position to offer suitable alternative work, the organisation will notify you in writing and the health and safety leave will expire seven days after receiving the notification to return to work.
Payment during Maternity leave
During maternity leave, you will be deemed to be in employment and your employment rights, with the exception of remuneration, are preserved as if you were present at work.
During maternity leave, employees who have the necessary PRSI contributions are entitled to maternity benefit from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection (DEASP). It is recommended that you apply at least six weeks before the start date of your maternity leave. Claims should be made on MB1 forms, which can be completed or requested online at www.welfare.ie. The organisation will complete the MB2 form (not earlier than 16 weeks before your baby is due).
DPD Ireland will top up your DEASP Maternity Benefit during Maternity Leave (i.e., up to 26 weeks) to bring you to the amount of your contractual base salary. This will be paid on a weekly/monthly basis, in accordance with the DEASP Maternity Benefit. It is your responsibility to arrange and claim Maternity Benefit from the State. DPD Ireland will deduct the maximum weekly rate of benefit payment from your contractual base salary. There is a minimum service of 12 months continuous service required to avail of this benefit.
For qualifying employees on a fixed-term or specified purpose contract, any leave (or any other benefit) will last only for the duration of the contract.
If you do not intend to return to work, or are unsure, it is helpful if you discuss this with us as early as possible. If you decide not to return you should give notice of resignation in accordance with your contract of employment. The company will be able to accept the resignation once your maternity leave is finished. It is important to note that if you resign and do not return to work after your maternity leave, or additional unpaid maternity/parents/parental leave period, DPD may ask you to repay all of the Maternity top up payments made to you by the organisation.
Additional maternity leave (Unpaid)
Qualifying employees may take up to an additional 16 weeks leave immediately following the 26 weeks’ maternity leave. During additional maternity leave, you will be deemed to be in employment and your employment rights, with the exception of remuneration, are preserved as if you were present at work.
Additional Maternity Leave is unpaid. During Additional Maternity Leave, the employee will not receive any Maternity Benefit from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, nor will you receive any payment from DPD Ireland.
Additional maternity leave and sickness
You may request to terminate unpaid additional maternity leave in the event of a medically certified illness, thereby allowing you to transfer to the sick leave scheme. This is subject to approval by the organisation. Requests for termination of the additional maternity leave and acceptance of this by the organisation must be in writing.
Please note that if you choose to transfer to the sick leave scheme, then the remainder of the additional maternity leave cannot be taken at a later date following the period of sick leave.
Postponement of maternity leave
Maternity leave and/or additional maternity leave may be postponed in the event of the hospitalisation of your child, subject to the agreement of the organisation. In order to request this postponement, you must already have taken at least 14 weeks maternity leave, with not less than four of those weeks being after the date of confinement.
You should request the postponement of the leave in writing as soon as possible. This request should also include a letter of confirmation from the hospital.
Premature Birth
In the event of a premature birth the 26 weeks leave will be extended by an additional period of leave. This period of leave will commence at the end of the 26 weeks. The additional period to be added will be the number of weeks from the baby’s actual date of birth, up to two weeks before the expected date of confinement, which would have been the 37th week of the pregnancy.
Miscarriage
There is no entitlement to statutory maternity leave for a miscarriage occurring up to and including the 24th week of pregnancy. Any confinement occurring after the 24th week is covered.
Payment during leave
During maternity leave and additional maternity leave, you will be deemed to be in employment and your employment rights, with the exception of remuneration, are preserved as if you were present at work.
During maternity leave, employees who have the necessary PRSI contributions are entitled to maternity benefit from the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. It is recommended that you apply at least six weeks before the start date of your maternity leave. Claims should be made on MB1 forms, which can be completed or requested online at www.welfare.ie. The organisation will complete the MB2 form (not earlier than 16 weeks before your baby is due).
During the 16-week period of additional maternity leave, no payment is made by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
Employment protection
An employee who is absent on maternity leave will be treated as if they had not been absent. At the end of your maternity leave, you will be entitled to return to your original job under terms and conditions no less favourable than those that would have applied if you had not been absent. However, you must give at least four weeks written notice of the return to work date.
Employees on fixed-term contracts have the same entitlements and protections as their permanent colleagues. Where the employee’s contract is due to expire during the period of maternity leave, additional maternity leave, or health and safety leave, the leave and any entitlements to benefit expire on the day the contract expires.
Where an employee has been, absent from work due to maternity leave during the probationary period, the organisation reserves the right to suspend the probationary period for the duration of the employee’s absence.
Congratulations
Our warmest congratulations go out to you at this key moment in your life.
Complaints
You are protected against penalisation and unfair dismissal for claiming your rights under maternity leave legislation.
Disputes about maternity leave can be referred by the employee in writing to the Head of HR, patricia.lennon@dpd.ie.
P.O Doc 15
Issue Date 01st June 2022
Rev Date: 12th June 2024
Next Rev Date: 12 June 2025
Documented by: Jess Lumley
Approved by: Mary Gaffey