Maternity Leave q

[Linsco]

Hiya, would just like some advice/opinions on my current dilema at work - sorry if its long!

My baby (he'll be our first) is due on 11th September.
I had originally told my employers that I would work as long as I could dependant on my health.
Even then I would have liked 3/4weeks off before he is due and saved up my annual leave for this - my boss was aware of this.

However my boss has since decided to go on annual leave for 2 weeks in August during the time I would like to finish up. My boss is now making me feel unreasonable for wanting to leave when she is off and I have even heard that she has asked HR if she can force me to come in when she returns. We dont have to do a handover as other folks present will take over my work.

I am only on a fixed term contract which ends in April 2012 and really want to leave my workplace on a good note so I feel as though she is using this against me. Argh, emotionally I am all over the place, baby is doing well but I have awful pelvic girdle pain and I struggle just now with the commuting so I dread to think what it'll be like later.
Any advice would be much appreciated!

Your boss has no say at all in when you can or cannot take your maternity leave it is entirely your descion, what happens if your baby is early you would have to leave in august (i went into hosiptal with my first at 36 weeks). I would take your maternity leave when you want to regardless of how your boss behaves at the end of the day as my employer put it you need to put your health and your babies health first.

No, of course she can't force you to come in! What a numpty she sounds!

I don't suppose you put it in writing before? I would put it in writing now - remind her (or the HR dept) that you have had an informal chat previously where you stated your intentions, state again what you hope to happen but that (obv) medical advice being what it is, if you are advised to leave earlier then you will have to.

I realise that you want to leave on a good note etc, but please remember that this is not your doing. Please don't let yourself be blackmailed by her and end up doing yourself damage because of it. You, and your baby, must come first.

I got told that you can legally start your mat leave 11 weeks before baby is due. I would try and get something in writing now and explin that you understand you will be very tired at that point and would hate to let them down short notice. It is unfair to make you feel bad about this as you can do with out the stress. f it comes down to it leave when arranged an just try not to think about work as by then you will have lots to occupy you and prob won't give 2 hoots when you have baby. They will be very cold if they try to make you feel bad if you visit to show of baby.

You can choose when you take your maternity leave but not when you take your annual leave. So if you are saying you want to bring your maternity leave forward that is fine. If you are saying your boss has booked annual leave when you wanted to book annual leave, then there isnt much you can do about that.

My job required a doctor's note to state that I was fit to work past 36 weeks - I think this is a health and safety requirement. So if you have a friendly GP, he/she can just say at the time that you need to stop work - it may be true anyway. That would put you on maternity leave though, rather than annual leave. Good luck - hope the PGP doesn't get too much worse.

whostole my name is correct, you can start your mat leave on a date of your chosing (no longer than 11 wk before your due date) but any annual leave has to be authorised by the person who usually authorises your leave (usually line manager).

Also check your contract as many organisations require you to use your annual leave in the year it is accrued and do not allow you to roll leave over into the next year. If this is the case you will have to use your leave before you head off on MAT leave or risk losing it.

But on the holiday point, most HR departments worth their salt would tell your boss she is being idiotic if she refuses holiday at a time when you could be off on maternity leave instead. It just means she gets even less of you before you go off as you have to use up your holiday another time.

If you are keen to leave on good terms though, could you offer a short debrief/handover when she comes back from holiday? If you're on holiday at that point, you just wouldn't book a day/a half day in as holiday. If you've started mat leave it could be a KIT day. Obviously you're under no obligation...