Keeping in Touch days

[ch 1: pages 12-13]

When you are on maternity leave, your employer should keep you informed of issues which may affect you. For example, you should be informed of any relevant promotion opportunities or job vacancies that arise during your maternity leave.

The amount and type of contact between you and your employer must be reasonable. Contact can be made in any way that best suits either or both of you. For example, it could be by telephone, by email, by letter, by you making a visit to the workplace or in other ways.

Both you and your employer must agree about whether you work any Keeping in Touch (KIT) days, how many you will work, when you will work them and how much you will be paid for them. You are under no obligation to work them and your employer is under no obligation to offer them to you.

You must also agree between you what sort of work you will do. KIT days could be particularly useful in enabling you to attend a conference, undertake a training activity or attend for a team meeting.

The rate of pay is a matter for agreement with your employer. It may be set out in your employment contract or agreed on a case-by-case basis.

Keeping in touch days will also be available for those taking Shared Parental Leave (see page 26).