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Parenting

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Original poster

Do employers ever allow this? (Maternity leave related)

31 replies

worrier198 · 12/02/2023 21:12

I want to extend my maternity leave to go back in Jan. I’m supposed to go back second week of November. I’d be happy to take it unpaid, obviously. Do employers do this? I realise they’re not obliged to but I don’t really want to ask if it’s totally unheard of.

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HappyAsASandboy · 13/02/2023 07:32

It is certainly possible, if your employer is happy to do it.

I extended one of my maternity leave periods to 15 months by taking 12 months maternity leave, then the annual leave I had accrued from the leave year before maternity leave, then the annual leave and bank holidays accrued during maternity leave. There may have been a few weeks (unpaid) Parental Leave in there too, I can't remember.

Many employers prefer you to stay off a bit longer and clear the annual leave accrued while on maternity leave because it is less disruptive to have you stay off for 6 weeks while they already have maternity cover in place than to have you taking double annual leave entitlement in drips and drabs over the year.

For similar reasons they are often open to a planned pattern of annual leave that essentially makes you part time (but paid full time) until you bring your balance down. After another maternity leave, I took Friday off each week for 6 months to get my annual leave balance back down.

TiaraBoo · 13/02/2023 07:50

Use your accrued 2023 annual leave, if it doesn’t cover the 7 weeks, you’ll also have parental leave (unpaid) 4 weeks (every year) you can use.

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 13/02/2023 08:04

I went back in November after the year and did 3 days a week. I should have just stayed off. I was inundated with people who had projects that were supposed to finish year end and needed training to finish it. I was Learning and Development

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turnthebiglightoff · 13/02/2023 08:49

"It's" dad can take a day off, yes - but from end Jan - end Jan (if that's how OPs holiday runs) is a hell of a long time to have no annual leave. No week with the baby - just weekends. I personally would not do that, I'd rather suck it up and go back sooner. If OP can afford to take unpaid leave, that's the best option if they won't be left with any annual leave.

Emmamoo89 · 13/02/2023 08:59

No harm in asking. X

WelshNerd · 13/02/2023 12:55

To clarify, statutory parental leave includes the right to return to your job.

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