Can I work whilst receiving Statutory Adoption Pay?

During your adoption leave period you may carry out up to ten days’ work for your employer (or employers if you have more than one) without losing any adoption pay or leave. ‘Keeping in Touch’ (KiT) Days could include attending a training day or staff meeting or actually doing a full day’s work. Anything you do on any day will count as though you had worked a full day, even if you only went into work for two hours but KiT Days cannot be used to extend your adoption leave period.

Your employee cannot force or demand that you work at any point during your adoption leave period, it has to be an agreement between you and the employer. If you choose to work on a KiT Day, your employer does not have to pay you your normal wages, but your adoption pay is not affected by working such a day. Some good employers might decide to pay you your normal wages for that day, although you should check that this does not jeopardise your entitlement to adoption pay, and some might allow time off ‘in lieu’ when your adoption leave period ends and you return to work.

If you change jobs during statutory adoption leave your SAP will also be stopped. However. if you leave your job after the qualifying week, for whatever reason (including dismissal), you will still be entitled to SAP, providing you do not start working for another employer. However, additional rules apply if you are dismissed, and you should check with your trade union, or the HMRC in this instance for more information.