Having or adopting a child

Taking time off work to have or adopt a child may affect your pension. What happens to your pension will depend on:

  • How much paid leave you take
  • Whether you are entitled to ‘enhanced family leave pay’ (that extends how long you can take paid leave for)
  • How much unpaid leave you take
  • Which plan you are building up pension in

The amount of paid leave that you get will depend on how long you’ve worked for Unilever. Speak to your HR People Partner to find out what you might get.

If you buy other benefits from your pay such as serious ill-health cover, extra life cover or extra voluntary contributions (EVCs) you will continue to pay for these benefits while you are on paid leave. If you take unpaid leave these benefits will stop until you return to work.

While you are on paid leave

You will continue to build up pension in the DB Career Average Plan as normal while you are on paid:

  • Maternity leave
  • Paternity leave
  • Shared parental leave
  • Adoption leave

This includes when you are receiving statutory maternity, paternity, shared parental or adoption pay. But the amount of pension that you build up will be based on your pensionable earnings when you started your paid leave. When you are on paid leave you will still pay the same percentage of your pay towards your DB Career Average Plan pension.

Making your benefit choices while on leave

While you are on leave you will still need to tell us how you want to use your Benefits Envelope for the year ahead. We’ll write to you to tell you when you need to do this, and to remind you when the deadline is.

When you return to work

Remember to add your new family members to Workday when you return to work.

Help with childcare costs

The government offers some help towards the cost of childcare.

Read more about help with childcare costs at MoneyHelper:

Help with childcare costs
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