Keeping in touch days
[ch 6: pages 64-65]During maternity or adoption leave, an employee can carry out work or training of up to 10 days for the employer without losing the right to statutory pay or bringing their leave to an end. These are known as “Keeping in touch” or “KIT” days. KIT days are entirely voluntary and must be agreed by both sides. Any work or training will count as one of the 10 KIT days, even if it lasts just a few hours.
During SPL, the parties can agree up to 20 “shared parental leave in touch” (SPLIT) days.
KIT and SPLIT days can be used to help employees on leave to engage in work-related activities such as training sessions or team meetings, or to work part-time to phase in the return to work.
There is no contractual right to pay beyond the statutory entitlement, so any extra days will be a matter for a negotiated agreement. However, as a minimum, employers must not breach national minimum wage obligations, or engage in discrimination. Acas says that employees should usually be paid their normal wages, less any statutory payment received. In a workplace where a union is recognised, a formal policy on payment is likely to have been negotiated.