Changing Maternity Start Date

[dancinglorna1984]

Hello, I am due to start my maternity leave at the beginning of July but I am seriously considering requesting to finish a week earlier as I think I may struggle to last that long. I have checked the maternity policy and it states that you need to give 28 days notice to change the date. It doesn't state if that is 28 days or 28 working days, does anyone know this from previous experience please? Thank you

Anyone?

It'll depend on your policy I expect. You can only ask. Could you take a week's annual leave? That way there's no change in payroll stuff, just that you physically won't be there.

I think policies change from employer to employer but I'd guess calendar days or 4 weeks notice.

Have you spoken with your boss/HR? Even if you're out of time, they may allow you to change the date and waive the full 28 days. You could always sell it that they'll get you back quicker!

If not do you have any holiday to take?

Wishing you all the best x

I think it's 28 days as in a month, but my employer let me give less notice as I was starting to feel awful. As it happened I had the baby before I left and mat leave started automatically with no notice anyway!

It's caveated with 'or what's reasonably practical' so that if a woman feels less able to continue than she thought she would she can change her start date. Remember if you're off in the last four weeks of pregnancy for a pregnancy related illness it automatically kicks in anyway so if they're weird about it you could go sick the week you actually wanted to start. Generally though employers aren't dicks about it.

Oh, and it's 28 consecutive days/4weeks, not working days.