Is this allowed?

[Vaavaavoom]

Hi, I'm currently 22 weeks pregnant and having a few issues with work and their process to my pregnancy, maternity, etc.i.e not following risk assessment adjustments, or putting me on shift on days I've already stated I have antenatal appointments.

The newest issue is (today is my day off) I've just been notified by the rota app we use, not even by my employer/manager directly, that they has scheduled in my maternity leave dates beginning 24th June for 6 months and 3 weeks given as holiday allowance, im not due until 10th august.

We had had a brief discussion that I would like my mat leave to begin 3 weeks before my due date, so around 20th July and go back after 6-7months. I have 3 holidays already booked that will be wasted now over my mat leave period and questioned if it was possible to use these 3 weeks as the 3 weeks running up to my due date, then my official 6 months start from the 10th. They said they would see what they would do. Nothing discussed was actually set in stone, just a suggestion of understanding the process for me to consider exact dates.

Is this an error of miscommunication? As the dates are now completely off. Are employers allowed to assign these dates without concrete approval of dates from yourself? Or even without you being present to correct any possibilities of inaccuracies?

Sorry for the post length. I just don't understand why they didn't wait until tomorrow when I'm back on shift to do this, instead they've done it on my day off without any communication and everything looks to have already been submitted.

They've done it on your day off because the dates suit them. Email today.

Not sure how it is where you are but in Ireland ML has to start no later than 38 weeks. We have to officially request this so it's in writing. Any time off before this would be consider Annual leave. Not sure what your intentions were? Did you want to use AL up until you actual due date?

In the UK, I was allowed to start Mat leave from 11 weeks before EDD.

OP, are you sure it's not just a simple cock up, where you've mentioned 20th July, they've put you in as June? You said return 6-7 months after, so that would also tie in with 6 months, 3 weeks.

Having said that, I had to put my requirements in writing to my employer and then they wrote back officially to confirm what had been arranged.

Just to clarify a couple of thinks,

I'm in the UK, England specifically if that helps.

I specifically stated in this discussion that I wanted to return 6-7months after my EDD not from the 3 weeks I wanted to take as AL beforehand.

The discussion was in passing when I questioned my entitlement to mat leave and mat pay, if their was any company policies or benefits etc. Nothing was nor has been put in writing about this.

I've only been made aware of this being done and submitted today because the rota app notified me of dates that had been approved and now blocked out, this was literally about 20 minutes ago. On the app it states Maternity Leave for these full dates, 24th June to 23rd December.
Who in their right mind would want to come off mat leave Christmas and new year anyways, never mind my baby probably won't even be 6 months old at that point.

Sounds like they've made a mistake, drop them an email

Talk to someone before you go jumping to conclusions