mat leave query

[elliemay80]

this may be a silly question but does mat leave have to commence on a sunday? i want to start mine the week the baby is due (due on a tues) but not sure if i can start it that due day or whether it has to be the sunday before. sorry for being dim but i read this somewhere and now can't find anything to clarify it!

I think you only get paid for full weeks but I could be wrong. I'd ask on the Employment Issues board :)

I think it depends on your pay arrangements with work. I will be starting mine on a Monday as this is the first day of the week IYSWIM. I think it gets confusing as the Midwife when completing the MATB1 form has to enter the date starting with Sunday being the first day of the week.

Depends on your employer - mine has to start the day before baby is due. I'm due on a Tuesday so my maternity leave will start on the Monday.

Nope. It's an old rule, but mat leave is mostly paid in weeks, and you still have the Qualifying Week etc.

It's completly up to you what day you would like to start your mat leave, and it's up to your employer if they pay it say from Tuesday to Monday or the old Monday to Sunday way. They can even pro rata it although I don't as it's a ball ache .

Speak to your Payroll Team and ask them how they would treat it

I started my maternity leave on a Wednesday, pre-arranged with work, but I don't know if all businesses will allow you to start maternity leave mid-week.

It would be worth you finding a copy of your works maternity leave policy and reading through that.

Also, if your baby is born before you start maternity leave, your maternity leave should automatically start then, regardless of what day of the week your baby's born on.

thanks for the advice. i have my work's maternity policy but it is quite vague and doesn't say anything about when to start. i think i will just put down for the sunday to ensure a full week's pay. it's only two day's difference and i hate battling with payroll/ hr- i seem to get passed around and put on hold whenever i ring them!