Taking holiday before Maternity leave

[Panda368]

So, I've just clocked that my boss still hasn't formally approved my request to take the remaining 14 days of my annual leave ahead of starting my maternity leave.

I have previously discussed this intention openly with him.

Taking my annual leave would mean I would be off from 36weeks onwards, my commute from home would be about 1.5 hours each way (currently I stay 3 nights a week near work but very much don't want to continue doing this much longer)

Until this point it didn't enter my head that he could/would potentially refuse my request. He has already said that he didn't believe my holiday could be carried over if it was untaken by the time I start my Mat leave.
Does anyone have any advise on what the rules are here? Could he genuinely force me to work until I start my official Mat leave? Obviously if he refused my holiday I could bring forward starting my Maternity leave but I'd then loose almost half a months paid leave if he wont let me carry the days over into next year?

I mean this might just be an oversight on his part but any advise on what the company can and can't do in this situation would be appreciated. My weekly countdown to 1st October has been the only thing keeping me going the last few weeks and the thought of having to keep commuting/staying away from home in the week is killing me.

You can't be stopped from taking your annual leave allowance. Have a look at the gov.uk pages and Maternity Action website on this.

Holiday have to be carried over to the following year ... www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/managing-pregnancy-and-maternity-workplace/faqs-employees/during-maternity-leave-leave

But I think they are 'allowed' to decline your request for annual leave before starting mat leave... I did the same thing though, had 4 weeks annual leave to use from 36-40 weeks (and if baby comes early and automatically triggers maternity leave then work would have to carry over any 'spare' annual leave).

I don't see why they would decline your request to use annual leave before mat leave, they're just being difficult!

Can’t see why he would decline it? 99% of women do this or everyone who I’ve known has! I’m doing the same thing it’s only 2 days left but I’m still taking them! Have a word tomorrow,just ask have they been approved xx

You are allowed to take the holiday.

www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/entitlements-during-statutory-maternity-leave

You can add holiday to the beginning or end of your Statutory Maternity Leave. You may not be able to carry over untaken holiday entitlement if your Statutory Maternity Leave goes over two holiday years. It is often best to take this at the beginning of your Statutory Maternity Leave.

Rather than take holiday, I'm starting mat leave at 37 weeks and converting my unused holiday into pay to be given to me in the last 3 months of my year off. But I could have tagged on the holiday and taken a year and 2.5 weeks off.