Maternity Leave/Annual Leave - Does this seem right?

[Ceolas]

I can take a year's maternity leave, any time from 8th June (29 weeks).

The annual leave year runs from April-April. Any annual leave not used before the end of the year is lost. You cannot be paid for it.

Therefore, it seems I have to take my entire year's annual leave entitlement before I stop for maternity leave.

So in theory, I could stop in the middle of May, and I'm due on 24th August.

Is it me or does this seem mad?

[fizzbuzz]

God, make the most of it!

[fannyannie]

yes it is rather mad -

I'm takiung my AL in April this year and starting my Mat Leave in May (due 5th June) - so my Mat leave goes over into next A/L year (ours runs Jan-Dec) and then I can decide not to come back to work when it's too late for them to get this years AL off me

[Monkeybar]

I had the same situation and took annual leave before mat leave and it was great to have full pay on time off before mat leave! That said, I had to go back to work before I'd had a continuous 12 months break as I was told that if I had 12 continuous months off I'd have to do my initial training again (6 weeks residential, a long way from home), so returned after 11 months off. It's probably just the industry I'm in, but it might be worth checking. If I'm lucky enough to get preg again, I'll take holiday, then have a week back at work, or something, befoer going on mat leave to get around this prob!

[Ceolas]

don't know if I'm going back...

[Monkeybar]

I didn't want to when I had to, but it is actually quite nice to be a professional woman again, I just wish it was part time work, so I could be mummy more than working woman, instead of teh other way round!

[Dophus]

If you don't want to take a month off before (yeah right) you could ask to be paid in lieu.

[Ceolas]

It's a part time job and this is baby number 4. I'm not sure it'll work.

I just wondered if it's too good to be true?!

[Creena]

That's exactly what I intend to do. My new leave year starts in April but my maternity leave doesn't start until May. I've still got 6 days left to take in this current year plus I'll still accrue another 14.5 days while I'm on 6 months paid maternity leave during the next leave year (I won't accrue any while on unpaid maternity leave). So, I've checked out my company's annual leave policy as well as the maternity leave policy and it seems that all I have to do is gain my manager's approval. Luckily, he's supportive. So, I've decided to take 20 days as annual leave from April, which will run up until my maternity leave begins in May.

It's definitely worth taking a look at your company's annual leave policy - usually, you're expected to take all, if not most, of your annual leave in any one annual leave. If you submit such a request and it's then refused, your company will then be in the position where they have to pay you for that lost leave instead. I imagine that they'd prefer to let you have the time off instead!

Hope you get it sorted!

[Juicylucytoo]

You can start ML 8th June or later - so theoretically you could take your annual leave in June or July and then start ML August.

[slalomsuki]

I was in the same situation but my company agreed to add it on to the end of my maternity leave and it was nice to do it that way since I needed the money by then.

Good luck and make the most of your time it passes in a flash

[PandaG]

Do you accrue AL while you are on unpaid maternity leave? I know you do while you are on paid mat leave, not sure about the unpaid part. If you do not accrue AL while on unpaid leave then you would not be entitled to the full year's holiday anyway. (I worked in this field until I had my DC, so not up to date with current legislation)

[MrsMar]

yeah it sounds pretty common to me. Our annual leave runs from april 1 to march 31st, and I guess it's just lucky if your baby is due around the start of your new leave year. I'm due in sept, and I get a whole lump of leave in april, so I'm going to use a couple of weeks in July to go away to my mum and dads in france, but then I'm going to use the remaining 4 weeks to start my maternity leave early. It'll be so nice to spend some quality time doing nice things I won't be able to do afterwards!

[newby29]

Like Panda G - I would say check whether you get full AL while on unpaid Mat Leave. I am in the civil service and we dont - so in fact only get it for 6 months ordinary maternity leave, not the additional part. So half of my normal entitlement.

[Tinker]

newby - you should be entitled to statutory leave during your unpaid mat leave. I stress should - am in "discussion" with my employer about this (also civil service)

[bananaloaf]

i was entitled to all annual leave when i was on maty leave. my maty leave spanned a new leave year. what i did was to take what was due to me prior to leaving instaed of maty leave then took what had been due to me whilst off at the end. what i could do was to take all al due to me for the 6months before maternity leave in case is didnt come back hth

[detoxdiva]

Celolas - does sound a bit of a mad system - but if that's the way your company does it, then just make the most of it! I went on mat leave in Dec and took the last 2 weeks hold before I went.

I also accrued annual leave all the time I was off (OML & AML) so last week I got paid up my 4 weeks holiday (yeh!)

[pooka]

I did that - left work on the day after my 23 week scan! So in the end 18 weeks before ds was born. But then I had dd at the time and wanted to enjoy the summer with her (I left 6 weeks before she was born).

[pooka]

Also - knew wasn't going to go back, so even though I could (I think) have used the annual leave at the other end of the year, wanted to be in a position where I knew they didn't owe me anything and I didn't owe them.

[newby29]

Tinker - yes, I have had disucssions with them about this. but basically, I technically get 1.5 days, but cant actually use it. my leave year runs march to end Feb. My EDD is mid July, and I get 25 days contractural leave a year - basically, by end feb next year - I will have been awarded 18.5 days contractural AL - which is 12.5 for the 6 months of my ordinary mat leave, + 6.5 days accured before I go off. They then give my 1.5 days stautory leave, to make it up ot the minumum requirement of 20 days Stat leave. BUT, that cannot be taken before the period for which is it incurred has happened (ie not before mat leave) and cannot be carried over. Given my additional maternity leave will be from December to June and leave year changes in March - there is no way I can physically take it! so I basically dont get it!

(sorry for being boring - has been getting my hackles up!)

[newby29]

ps detoxdiva - lucky you getting AL for OML and AML!!!!

[detoxdiva]

One of the (few) benefits of being a small cog in a huge faceless institution!

[elibumbum]

I had 4 weeks on AL before going on maternity leave (after checking I had interpreted it right with my firm's employment law specialist). I thought I would be bored but actually it was great. My job had got more stressful and hours longer towards the end and I was getting very tired. I didn't miss my 50 mile a day commute (traffic jams on the M1 aren't much fun when you have a regular need to pee!). I kept quite busy in the AL time and got plenty of rest in the last few weeks!