Time off for maternity appointments

[blueyw]

Anybody know what the rights are for taking time off for maternity appointments? I've got my 12 week scan next week, work are not aware at the moment that I am pregnant and I am having to use annual leave so that I can take the afternoon off to go to hospital, which I don't really want to do as I'm already low on annual leave allowance for the rest of the year.

Would I be best telling them I am pregnant now? Our usual company policy is that we are entitled to up to 1 hour off for medical appointments, but I'll be longer than an hour next week and I don't want to be working any time back if possible.

Advice needed pls

Personally I would tell them now. In all my pregnancies I’ve told them as soon as I found out but they’re a very supportive bunch anyway

Yes, you would be better off telling them now as they are legally obliged to give you fully paid time off for ALL of your antenatal appointments; the normal HR policies for sickness/hospital appointments won't apply.

www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

(And congratulations! 😁)

one hour off for medical appointments is completely unreasonable, as many take far longer than that, and add travel too...

TBH, I would tell them you are pregnant, but if you don't want to, then tell them it is a medical appointment and tell them how long it will take.

https://www.acas.org.uk/your-maternity-leave-pay-and-other-rights/time-off-for-pregnancy-appointments

You are entitled to take a 'reasonable' amount of time off for a pregnancy related appointment and will include travel to and from the appointment. If you don't tell them you're pregnant the time off will be treated like any other time off

If you don't want to use your annual leave then just tell your line manager/ whoever has to approve time off that you're pregnant but tell them that you want it to remain confidential.

Thanks all. So is there no time limit on how much time I'm allowed off for each of my maternity appointments?

I’d just tell your manager, as you’re allowed time off for maternity appointments so you don’t need to use annual leave. I told mine when I was about 9 weeks, and unfortunately then had a loss at 11 weeks. It made it much easier to then have time off to recover from the loss, as I’d already told her about the pregnancy

A scan will take ages probably - they are in hospitals (and ime of being pregnant, appointment times are a rough approximation of them you might get seen, not a definite thing). It takes time to get there and back. You might be more relaxed taking this one as annual leave and feeling no pressure to go back afterwards.

I'd probably tell them after you have established that everything is okay, confirmed due date (which the scan will do) and are ready to let them know.

I tried to take routine appointments after work so I didn't need too much time off when I was first pregnant. Then I didn't feel so bad about longer appointments in hospital. But you are entitled to time off regardless.

Congratulations on the pregnancy