u/JChanns97

Hey guys, I need some help.

Flash back to last year - my partner and I were expecting a baby that we sadly lost at 18 weeks. My girlfriend took some time off work between then and we fell pregnant again shortly after which was a blessing.

Early this year - she works for a care company and returned to work on the 9th Jan to inform them she was pregnant. Her official start date was the 5th Feb. She didn’t receive her maternity pack until the 19th Feb, over a month after telling them and by asking for it.

April 9th she submits her MATB1 and on the 22nd she receives an email stating she didn’t meet the qualification threshold for Statutory Maternity Pay.

The threshold period was the 12th Jan - 8th March.

No one followed this up, explained to her how it worked at the time of notifying them she was pregnant, by the time she actually returned to work 5/8 weeks were missed to claim making enough weekly to be granted SMP.

During this; when she submitted her MATB1 she was informed to “wait until her manager was back off holiday” from a team member in the office.

The other team member then went a disclosed to multiple patients/customers that she was pregnant without her consent.

We’ve submitted a grievance against their breach of confidentiality from the specific colleague and to the company for the mishandling of this whole process- there’s a lot more ins and outs.

They have now reached out and given her grievance hearing date for 3 days time- an 8 month pregnant woman to prepare for, with an email from her manager explicitly stating that “HR have said it’s neither necessary or appropriate” for to get a written statement from the customer that was told from another colleague about her pregnancy.

We are tired, she is stressed and, we’re supposed to be having our beautiful baby in just over a month.

I would just like some advice as to whether we are chasing something futile or any steps we can take to ensure we are compensated for their fuck up.

Please.

Thank you- a stressed out dad to be.