Sick leave in pregnancy- do I have to go on early mat leave?!

[Wishfulmakeupping]

Hi all, anyone been signed off work whist pregnant- did you need to go on early mat leave because of it?
I need to double check with my hr dept as the guidance for my work can be read 2 ways (I'm getting v.confused).
Going back to gp today and think I may be signed off for a few weeks and can't speak to he beforehand any advice would be fab
Thanks peeps

If you get SMP then they have no choice but to put you on maternity leave if you are off sick FOR A PREGNANCY RELATED illness after a certain date.

Usually its only in the last few weeks (maybe 4/6) of your pg and only if it is pg related.

If you are off work for a pregnancy related illness in the last 4 weeks of your pregnancy (from 36 weeks) then they can start it, but not prior to this. Directgov website will have info on this.

The regulations used to permit them to do this at any time after 29 weeks. It changed to 36(?) weeks. You need to check that they are not still using the old limit (might just be an oversight if they are).

Thanks all, just been to see doc who signed me off for a week and said that from 31 weeks onwards they wouldn't do a sick note I'd go on may leave?! But she was a trainee gp and this was secondhand info from her supv so might be wrong- gonna call hr in a mo to shed more light in it cause would be worried if it was mat leave from 31 wks onwards

It's definitely 36 weeks.

It is normally up to you to decide when you wish to start your maternity leave. However, if you are off sick with a pregnancy-related illness in the last four weeks of your pregnancy, your employer can ask you to start your maternity leave. Your employer can ignore the odd days of illness, if they wish, for example, if they have organised maternity cover and you were not due to start maternity leave until nearer the birth. If you do have to start your maternity leave in the last four weeks of pregnancy, you should give your employer notice, as soon as reasonably practicable, of the start of your leave and that you are absent because of pregnancy-related illness. Your maternity leave and pay will start on the day after the first day of absence from work.

From Maternity action

Can Yvonne back and let us know what u find out as I'm in the same position as u and would love to know how long I can get away with sick pay before I have to go in maternity leave

Email from HR, If sickleave is preg related then may leave could start up to 4 weeks early if not pref related then sickness leave as usual until planned mat leave starts.
I'm going to go back and speak to a different doc later this week to see if I can be signed off again

Fab yeah was just going to say it's definitely 36 weeks

I was signed off until 36 weeks with DD, and then at that point its compulsory to start mat leave. (I think its because the company can claim your wages back through smp)

Definately speak to another GP.

As I still had annual leave to take my lovely manager let me "return" at 36 weeks and use my holidays up, so I could spend more time with dd when she arrived. Worth thinking about if a) you have a good relationship with your manager, and b) The annual leave left.

Thanks blending I have asked HR about annual leave as I was supposed to be on leave from 33 wks with may leave starting at wk so will see in that one

It's only compulsory to begin Ml at 36 weeks if the illness is pregnancy-related. If you break your leg for example, you can go off sick until 39 weeks or the date you originally nominated to go on ML.

I heard they can ask you to go on leave early or suggest it (before the 36 week point) but you can say no. I was v pleased to hear this as I went on sick leave for the two weeks before I started my ml. Good luck x