Statutory days holiday - maternity leave.

[Rehan62]

Hello mumsnet,

I am currently on maternity leave and return to work in early June after a 52 week period. My employer is letting me take my full annual leave allowance but says that the 8 statutory days plus 5 discretionary days during the past year cannot be accrued whilst on maternity leave and that those days need to be taken on the actual day they fall.
I am not on an hourly rate contract and I normally get bank holidays off without having to use my normal annual leave allowance. The months with a bank holiday pay cheque is no different from the month without. My contract does say annual leave + 8 statutory bank holidays.

The way I see it is that if I cannot accrue these 12 statutory and discretionary holidays then I am essentially working 12 extra days compared to all other staff and thus could be maternity/gender discrimination? Am I making sense or is this a fine display of mummy brains?

Thank you all in advance.

[PeppermintInfusion]

You still accrue your annual leave on maternity leave, however whether you get leave in lieu of bank/public holidays falling during your maternity leave is at the discretion of the company- some give them to you as additional leave entitlement others don't.