Who is responsible for paying occupational maternity pay and SMP if a teacher changes jobs at the end of her maternity leave and returns to a different authority?
If the teacher does not return to her original job then the previous employer is not responsible for continuing to pay her SMP from the date she starts carrying out work for her new employer. She will no longer be entitled to the 12 weeks half occupational maternity pay as she is not returning to her original post as specified in the Burgundy Book. The original authority may at their discretion ask for occupational payments made to be returned.
