Maternity, Adoption and Parental Rights

What are your rights at work as a new parent based on employment status?

Rights and protections vary depending on employment status and length of service. You may be an employee, self-employed or you could fall into the category of a worker or agency worker which affords you certain rights but not the full package of rights afforded to employees. 

Workplace rights as a worker musician

If you are a w​orker you are entitled to:

• Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Paternity Pay, Statutory Adoption Pay and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (if you meet the qualifying conditions),
• Basic health and safety protection, and
• Protection from discrimination

Workplace rights as an agency worker musician

If you are an agency worker with at least 12 weeks continuous employment with the same employer, you are entitled to the same rights above as workers as well as:

• Time off for antenatal care, and
• The right to be offered a suitable alternative job or to be suspended on full pay for health and safety reasons.

Workplace rights as an employee musician

If you are a musician working as an employee you are entitled to the same rights above as agency workers as well as:

• Maternity leave, paternity leave, adoption leave and shared parental leave
• Paid time off for antenatal care including time needed to travel to your clinic or GP, without loss of pay. Fathers, wives and partners are entitled to unpaid time off to attend up to two antenatal appointments (maximum of 6.5 hours per appointment)
• The main adopter has the right to take reasonable paid time off work to attend up to five adoption placement meetings. The adopter’s husband, wife or partner has the right to take unpaid time off to attend up to two adoption placement meetings. Time off is capped at 6.5 hours per meeting
• Full health and safety protection
• The right to ask for flexible work (changes to your hours, days and place of work)

Workplace rights as a self-employed musician

If you are self-employed musician you are are entitled to:

• Basic health and safety protection if you are working on someone else’s premises
• Maternity Allowance (if you meet the qualifying conditions)
• Protection from discrimination

The guidance pack on maternity, parental and adoption workplace rights was designed in conjunction with Maternity Action to provide musicians with information about your rights at work as set out under the Equality Act 2010.