Maternity leave, annual leave questions...

[salsasalsa]

Hi everyone,

I'm due to start my maternity leave 10th November, and I am eligible to receive statutory maternity pay.
The annual leave year starts at my job on the 1st October, so its only just started.
I have been at my job for 10 months when I start my maternity leave.
I have 32 annual leave days per annual leave year, and by the time I start maternity I will have used 2 days, so will have 30 days left, the equivalent to 6 weeks annual leave.
I know reading my work maternity terms and conditions that I am entitled to annual leave whilst on maternity, but my questions are...
Am I entitled to ALL of my annual leave whilst on maternity?
And can I take the annual leave whenever I want during the time, at the beginning/at the end?
Does it have to be spread out so I don't use it all at the beginning of the annual leave year?
If I can take it in bulk, is it best to use it at the beginning if possible or the end of my maternity leave?
I have chose to have 39 weeks for maternity, which takes me up to 10th August 2018, so additional 6 weeks of annual leave would take me to 21st September 2018, which would not effect new year for annual leave.
I have already informed HR and my line manager of the 10th November date to start maternity leave.

Also just generally petrified now of financially surviving, pregnant with identical twin girls! Any money tips welcome lol.

Thank you in advance for any help/advice! X

These are all questions for your HR department to answer. Get them answered in writing and save the emails so that next summer you can remember what they said. Share this information with your line manager. Ask about keep in touch days. I'm off on 27 October and had similar questions, and this is what I did.

You generally cannot take annual leave while on maternity leave. It is usually at the beginning or end. If it is at the beginning and you give birth before your maternity leave begins, the company has to then start your maternity leave with immediate effect.

Either put it at the beginning (if you have enough time before due date) or at the end of your maternity so you take it before you go back (assuming your maternity leave will last less than a year and won't take you into the next financial one)

When are your babies likely to arrive? You could use some prior to maternity leave beginning and some at the end if you have a while before the due date? I am also having twins and starting maternity leave a week after you :)

You're right I will forward all these questions over to my line manager, and HR.
I just didn't want to go in, looking like I hadn't got a clue, or hadn't read my maternity rights properly or whatever.
Does everyone think they are reasonable questions though lol?

I wouldn't mind the holiday being used at the beginning or the end to be honest, money wise at the beginning may be more beneficial, but if the money and time is coming at some point that's all that matters!

I think due to some complications I'm going to 36 weeks if possible, which makes it 10th Dec :) but we are also moving house in this time! 4 week count down lol I'm already exhausted.

chocolateshortcake I think I recognize your name from the twins board post! :)

I added 3 weeks to the end of my second maternity leave, the first time I used it once I returned to reduce my working week. I found it made quite a difference financially getting a wage before I returned to work so I had money to cover travel/ lunches etc.

I negotiated to use mine 1 day a week for 3 months after I came back. So I was getting paid for 5 days but only doing 4. Then I successfully argued I’d proved it could be done and my flexible working request was approved permanently.

But it was a deal with my manager / HR rather than the norm. But might be worth investigating??

Don't forget to ask about whether you at entitled to bank holidays too as my company adds them on.

Thank you every one for advice.

I think we do get bank holidays here, and the other thing is yes I will be applying for flexible working request - 3.5 days instead of 5 lol.
Should be fine my employer is pretty good.

Just need to have a nice chat with HR and my line manager I think!

Thank you

I replied to your thread without even paying any attention to the username!! Silly me. Sorry. Hello :)

We've got a twins whatsapp group going four of us in it atm all due in December, if you wanted to! General chat about bellies, aches pains scans etc etc! :)

Sounds good, how do I get there? PM you my number?

Yeah Pm me your number and I will get one of the girls to add you in because I'm useless! :) x

You're entitled to all of your annual leave, but would need to take at the beginning or end of the maternity leave. Also if you're going to be reducing your days to 3.5 and you'll be returning in the same annual leave year, you won't get the full 32 days. It will be from the start of your annual leave year to the end of the 39 weeks and then any remaining leave will need to be calculated pro rata based on 3.5.
Hope that helps!

One thing to consider, twins often come early, so I'd take it all at the end, at least you won't lose any then.

Where I work you get the opportunity to get paid holiday if you can't take it. So if you start may leave in Jan and want the 52 weeks and can't carry it over you get paid pro rata per month if you physically can't take the leave.

Otherwise yeah add on to the start or end and work it as best you can for when you return.