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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To take annual leave before maternity starts?

66 replies

user6776 · 12/12/2023 11:51

I'm 28 weeks and considering doing it. I'm so tired. My body is telling me to rest but I obviously can't at the minute working full time. I also have a 4 year old with additional needs, so the exhaustion is even more full on. I'm fully aware I still probably have 10-12 weeks before baby is here but I'd love nothing more than to just do nothing honestly!

To me, it only makes sense as I won't be using any of my annual leave next year anyway so not sure what would happen to it if I didn't take it.

Anybody else done this?

OP posts:
TheGoogleMum · 12/12/2023 11:54

I took a week of leave before starting mat leave. Our policy says leave carries over so there is incentive to not take it!

Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 11:55

TheGoogleMum · 12/12/2023 11:54

I took a week of leave before starting mat leave. Our policy says leave carries over so there is incentive to not take it!

ours doesn't, we can't carry over more than 5 days

OP posts:
piglet81 · 12/12/2023 11:56

Could you get signed off by the doctor instead? Sorry you’re having such a hard time Flowers

fungibletoken · 12/12/2023 11:56

If you definitely won't need/can't use it next year then go for it! I negotiated carrying mine over to the next year as I was otherwise only receiving SMP and was also sharing some of my leave with DH, so it gave me some extra paid time.

Sconehenge · 12/12/2023 11:57

I’m pretty sure the rules are different if it’s leave accrued on maternity leave? Maybe check with your HR. I have planned to use my annual leave after mat leave to have a phased return on full pay. Which might be more useful to you than leave now! Something to consider x

Dogsitterwoes · 12/12/2023 11:57

You can't really take next year's leave now. You can start your mat leave from 11 weeks before baby is due though.

The annual leave you accrue next year will still be available to you.

Speak to your manager or HR about your options

CremeBrunette · 12/12/2023 11:57

You won’t have 10 weeks of annual leave though will you? You would be able to start maternity leave at 30 weeks though and so you can bring it forward. If you need to take it earlier, you need to take it earlier.

I took some annual leave to go part time for a few weeks before starting maternity leave. I did a couple of 4 day weeks and then some 3 days weeks. Is that something you could do?

Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 11:58

Dogsitterwoes · 12/12/2023 11:57

You can't really take next year's leave now. You can start your mat leave from 11 weeks before baby is due though.

The annual leave you accrue next year will still be available to you.

Speak to your manager or HR about your options

Edited

No I know, I was thinking of taking annual leave from mid January onwards when holidays reset

OP posts:
MyUsernameIsBetterThanYours · 12/12/2023 11:58

10-12 weeks is a big stretch of time that you might be grateful to have at the other end of your mat leave. I did use a couple of weeks annual leave at the beginning of my mat leave because I felt so exhausted, so I do empathise, but I saved most of it until the end.

Do you WFH at all? Could you do more of that? Or use a little bit of leave now to take a good break over Christmas using the public holidays and then try to hang on until the end of January?

I’d try to hang on a bit longer if I were you to split the leave before and after mat leave, but ultimately only you know when enough is enough!

GimpMasksAndWagonWheels · 12/12/2023 11:59

You could (should?) still be able to carry over because it's mat leave though.

But yes, you're definitely not being unreasonable to take leave now. It's exhausting otherwise!

If you don't want to use it all up, could you maybe take a couple of days off each week? Effectively go part time but using annual leave.

Merryoldgoat · 12/12/2023 11:59

Your annual leave accrues during mat leave. If you have any left when you go on may leave they have to let you take it.

Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 12:01

My original plan was to use a couple of weeks AL beginning of February and take official mat leave from 38 weeks onwards.

But now I'm back wanting to use AL and finish some point in January instead. Don't even know if this is an option, I'm reluctant to start official maternity leave too early

OP posts:
MatildaTheCat · 12/12/2023 12:01

I’m a retired midwife and I really feel sorry that it’s become the norm to work right up to delivery. Being heavily pregnant is bloody hard work so working full time is far more tiring. Then many women go into labour exhausted and mentally unprepared as they haven’t had a break to transition and get ready for the very significant challenges ahead.

Take leave, start maternity leave a week or two (34 weeks was absolutely standard a few years ago) and relax. I genuinely believe there are benefits to women’s health when looking at labour, recovery and the perinatal period.

I will climb off my soapbox now.

Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 12:03

I can WFH but the expectation is for me to be still be in the office x amount of days a week

OP posts:
SecondUsername4me · 12/12/2023 12:03

When is your due date? Also, am I right in reading your annual leave year runs Jan to Dec?

How much maternity leave are you planning on taking?

Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 12:03

The thought of working up until 37/38 weeks fills me with dread! Don't know how some people do it to be honest

OP posts:
Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 12:05

@SecondUsername4me Beginning of March official due date. However, I have asked for an elective section due to complications with my last birth where I had an EMCS, so the consultant has mentioned 39 weeks as a possible date. Still TBC yet though

OP posts:
Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 12:05

SecondUsername4me · 12/12/2023 12:03

When is your due date? Also, am I right in reading your annual leave year runs Jan to Dec?

How much maternity leave are you planning on taking?

Yes, AL Jan - Dec

OP posts:
Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 12:06

I'm taking the full 12 months of maternity leave so most of next year

OP posts:
Merryoldgoat · 12/12/2023 12:06

I was unwell so from 30 weeks I worked a 4 day week which helped massively - the Wednesday off to rest was a lifesaver.

Could you take some annual leave in a similar way?

SecondUsername4me · 12/12/2023 12:08

Any annual leave you cannot fit in before your mat leave starts, the company has to roll forward for you. Regardless of their "carry 5 forward" rule. So don't feel like you'll lose it if you don't take it beforehand.

Do you get full sick pay? If so, I'd get signed off by the doc first working day in Jan, try and take 4 weeks.

Then let mat leave start at 36 weeks. This means when you officially return, it'll be early Feb 2025, plus you'll do so with all annual leave from jan24-dec24 to take, so may well even take you up to April 2025.

TrashedSofa · 12/12/2023 12:08

Completely fine.

MuggleMe · 12/12/2023 12:09

Work should be doing a risk assessment and working from home completely may be something that they should be offering. I would suggest that you use your annual leave to break up the week like a PP suggested, perhaps taking Wednesdays off or Tuesdays and Thursdays. Are you having any time off over Christmas you might feel a little less knackered after that.

Original poster
user6776 · 12/12/2023 12:11

MuggleMe · 12/12/2023 12:09

Work should be doing a risk assessment and working from home completely may be something that they should be offering. I would suggest that you use your annual leave to break up the week like a PP suggested, perhaps taking Wednesdays off or Tuesdays and Thursdays. Are you having any time off over Christmas you might feel a little less knackered after that.

No time off at Christmas either unfortunately 😔 I really think that would have helped a bit too!

OP posts:
BarbaraofSeville · 12/12/2023 12:13

You can but ask. It depends how accommodating/flexible your employer is. If you're talking about AL that you'd otherwise tack onto the end of your maternity leave they might be fine with it, especially if you need it for health reasons and the alternative might be taking sick leave.

Are you a member of a union where you could get advice, to check whether there's any downside you haven't thought of?