Help! The bit about working for 26wks prior to the 15th wk of EDD when returning from mat leave?

[Lucy1977]

Hi

This is hypothetical because I'm not pregnant yet but really important to when we TTC no 2.

I am returning to work at the beginning of March after ordinary and additional maternity leave and taking my accrued holidays. So I'm back on the payroll as of 5th Feb but not back in the office until 7th March. I am confused about when I will be entitled to paid maternity leave again with no 2.

We are hoping to conceive from February onwards but if we were lucky to conceive in Feb would I get paid maternity leave? If my EDD is mid november, do I count back 15wks then a further 26wks to get the date which I would've had to start back at my job?

Thanks for any advice or help you can give me, I feel really confused and will have to delay TTC if I wont get my paid maternity leave.

Thanks
Lucy

[Monkeybar]

I think that you are classed as being employed while you're on mat leave, so althouhg you're not actually at work until March, you are classed as having been continuosly employed. I remember seeing something about if you fell preg while on mat leave, you would go off on leave again very soon after going back to work, or you could run mat leaves back to back or something. SOrry, not as helpful as I thought I'd be

[EllieKwithabigbump]

try the government website, i found a site where i entered my dates and t told me when i had to be working from to get my mat leave paid. it's around 2 weeks before estimated date of conception from what i can remember, i fell pg 2 weeks after starting job and will get it. however, you have to be EMPLOYED from that date, so officially you will be employed as soon as you are back on payroll and could then start ttc as soon as that date passes.
bit jumbled i now but basically i'd say check out this and see if it helps more

[Lucy1977]

Thanks for your reply Monkeybar. I had the same thoughts as you that I'd be classed as continuously employed but its when I see all the information about having "worked" for 26wks prior to the 15th week of EDD that makes me conerned.

I might pluck up the courage and phone HR soon - I feel odd discussing things like this with them

Lucy

[Aloha]

Maternity leave counts as employment - ignore the bit about 'working'.

[Catilla]

Your service is continuous throughout your OML & AML so shouldn't be a problem.

Read the wording in the policy carefully - as long as it uses the standard wording of something like "completed 26 weeks of continuous service" you should be fine.