Maternity leave questions?

[dueatxmas]

I'm currently 25+3. I have complete previa and have been told i may be hospitalized from 34 wks as a result. I was planning on stopping work (i only work 2 days a week) at 36 weeks but work said they understand it may be earlier. I'm off work today due to illness which is not pregnancy related and it's the 1st day off i've had since being pregnant.

I have spoken to my work who have said they feel i should stop work at 29 weeks! I really wanted to go a bit further as i feel ok bit stressed with the not knowing of previa but feel well can't help feeling like i'm being pushed out.

Can they make me finish at 29 weeks? When did others start their mat leave?

No they can't make you start maternity leave any earlier.

If you're sick up to four weeks before they can. So you can still be working but on the sick up until 36 weeks and not start maternity leave.

They're trying to get you to take early to avoid paying sick pay up to 36 weeks IMO.

I was under the impression that they could automatically kick start your maternity leave if you took off any sick days (pregnancy related) within the 4 weeks before you intended to start maternity... Not before you are due. That's what it says in the guidelines for my work anyway.

Mines different, but if you say you are working right up (which you are perfectly entitled to do) then it would be 36 weeks before they can make you take maternity leave.

Ditto Rowan

They cannot force you to go on mat leave until 4 week before EWC.

Make contact with your HR department and advise them what you have been told by your line manager. Advise them that you have NO intention of starting mat leave until x date unless your pregnancy means sickness, and they start your mat leave from 36 weeks. Follow this up in writing by email or letter.

Hope this helps

employers are within the law to ask you to start maternity leave up to 11 weeks before your baby is due if you are having pregnancy related ilnesses and needing to take time off from work too often due to this i dont think they can force you tho. the 4 weeks before ewc is that if you have any time off in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy before due date they can automatically start your maternity leave from that date, if they want you to start before this they have got to give notice and a reason why they want you to go early and you have to agree to it. i know this because i had pregnancy related days off and the same happened to me i did go early tho as it was better for me as i was in pain constantly. i dont think they can if the illness wasnt pregnancy related. i think this would fall under the sex discrimination laws because the days off are not pregnancy related. there is info around this on direct gov website

Thankyou for all the advice. Think it's very unfair as i've had one day off all pregnancy which wasn't related. I think they just don't want the hassle of not knowing if i will be in as they need to arrange cover etc but i'm going to keep strong and keep saying i'll go when i want.