Maternity leave and sick pay

[ch 9: page 340]

A woman who is absent with a pregnancy-related illness has the same sick pay entitlement as any male or non-pregnant female employee (North Western Health Board v McKenna [2005] IRLR 895). She is not entitled to better pay because her illness is pregnancy-related.

There is no right to be paid statutory or contractual sick pay during maternity leave.

See also:

• Chapter 7, page 236: pregnancy, and maternity discrimination;

• Chapter 8, pages 305 and 317: sick pay and sickness absence, pregnancy and maternity;

• Chapter 10, page 387: automatically unfair dismissal for reasons relating to pregnancy, maternity and childbirth; and

• Chapter 11, pages 439 and 448: redundancy selection and rights to suitable available employment.