Sick leave, holidays & maternity leave

[GreyBird84]

I'm planning on using annual leave before going on maternity leave DH my maternity leave would start the week before I am due.

However I had really bad carpal tunnel with DC1 which never left me but became manageable about 8/10 weeks post birth.

I'm now 22 weeks & its worse than ever - I need an hour in the morning before I can even hold a toothbrush to brush my teeth!! My hands & fingers are so swollen & my rings are off. Feet are swollen too I'm for Evans today to get some really side fitting boots - again my feet never returned post DC1!

I'm part time admin which is not great for this problem. I imagine things are only going to get worse as my fluid levels rise. I want to keep going as long as I can though for my mental health - I don't have much of a social life.

I know if I am signed off sick then my maternity leave starts at 36 weeks.

I assume I don't lose my annual leave & I can tag it on at the end of my maternity leave? It's 6 weeks worth of leave.

In my last job (same company) my gp finished my sick note but it still said I wasn't fit for work as my work agreed to let my move from
Sick to holidays to maternity. I imagine this was at my managers discretion so won't necessarily happen this time.

Has anyone been in a similar position?

[ConvincingLiar]

For me, it doesn't matter whether the holiday goes before or after the maternity leave. That's because it's all within the same annual leave year and I'm going to be paid the same throughout ML.

[annlee3817]

I was signed off from 30 weeks, I then used two weeks holiday and my mat leave started on my due date, the holiday I had remaining was carried over to the following holiday year.

[GreyBird84]

Thanks ladies. I didn't think I could lose my holidays but you doubt yourself!

Annlee - did your doctor end your sick note saying you were still unable to work for you to take annual leave?

my maternity leave takes me into the next calendar year whether it starts 36 weeks or 39 weeks.

[ExpectoPatronummmm]

One thing to note, is that if you get statutory sick pay only and are off sick between weeks 21-29 you won't get any statutory materity pay as your earnings during that period have to be over £112 per week but SSP is only £88.45
Also the 90% pay for 6 weeks is calculated on that period

[GreyBird84]

I get 6 months full sick pay so it's ok that way Expect but thank you!

[MouseLove]

At my place of work I'll be due to go on maternity in August. Which means my maternity end will be in 2018. Since I can't roll over my holidays I'll need to take a full Years allocation before August and the same next year from when I return to December. It really depends on when your holidays start/end and if you can roll any over. Your HR dept should be able to advise. Also, raise your feet as much as possible. X

[annlee3817]

My consultant did the sick note for 6 weeks, he wanted to do it as the remainder of my pregnancy but I told him they would force me to take MAT leave earlier. He insisted it was illegal to do that, but i couldn't be bothered looking into it further or arguing it. So he did the sick note up to when my holiday started.