work and sick leave/maternity pay HELP

[lisad123]

I have worked for my current place for 7 years and am 22 weeks pregnant. I have SPD and some other pregnancy problems which are getting worse. Im seeing my consultant tomorrow and i know physio has written report saying i shouldnt be working and i will ask to be signed off. My boss also commented i should think about if i should be at work today
If I am signed off sick, how early can i be "forced" to start my maternity leave? I know it used to be 29 weeks, is that still right?
Thanks

Lisa

unless it changed with the new rules in April then yes, it s still 29 weeks

Hi Lisa,am not sure but think you are right on 29 weeks unless it has changed with the new maternity rights that came in on 1 April.

damn was hoping not
I wasnt planning to leave till 34 weeks, and after 6 weeks i drop straight to smp! bugger i'll be broke when this baby arrives then
L

I think it might be different now...

I found this

"Absence for a pregnancy-related reason before the intended start date.

An employee who is absent from work due to illness will normally be able to take sick leave until she starts maternity leave on the date notified to her employer. However, if the illness is related to her pregnancy, the maternity leave period starts automatically on the day after the first day of absence following the beginning of the fourth week before the expected week of childbirth."

On this website

My employers force it 4 weeks before due date, if signed off sick before this, it is full sick pay and then mat pay kicks in at 4 week mark. but I dont know if it is an employer related policy or general law...
Sorry cant help more...

Ceolas - that sounds right to me actually. That is how it was worded on my mat policy paperwork.

Looks like your employer's terms would agree with what I found Pavlov.

I find these things so difficult to understand

I just found a simular thing, woo hoo 36 weeks then
Oh thats better
Thanks

Almost makes the SPD bearable, Lisa?

So dont leave until 36 weeks, since you will be medically signed off until then!

i wouldnt go that far hehe
Although if he signs me off tomorrow I will have 5 weeks leave to add on the end of my maternity leave

Oh fingers crossed then.

Let us know

Are you in the public or private sector, Lisa? I know I work in local govt and that our maternity guidelines for managers say 4 weeks - I had leave to use up and didn't start mat leave until the day before baby was due (I expected, correctly, that he'd be rather late anyway). I wasn't feeling well, but pushed myself to get into work anyway, as I felt awful throughout so much of the pregnancy that there seemed little point to taking time off, I didn't see that it would make me feel better the next day.

Good luck, anyway.