Maternity Leave/Holiday

[Moominy12]

Hi All,

I'm currently 17 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and being asked at work when i'm planning on leaving for maternity. I'm due on 16th June.

I have my full holiday entitlement available and wondering if its an option to start my maternity leave officially 2 weeks before due date? Then take 2 weeks holiday before this? My manager doesn't really have a clue as its a small business and I'm clueless also!

Does it matter if i have the baby early and will this affect my maternity leave start date? Just want to use as much holiday as i can before i have to start maternity so i can spend more time with the baby.

You can take holiday before starting maternity leave. I have saved up mine and taken 3 week's holiday before starting my maternity leave a week before babies due date.
If baby comes early while you are on holiday you automatically go onto maternity leave but should be able to claim those holiday days back as you haven't used them.

Yes you can do that. You will be given a form from your midwife at 25 weeks which you give to work. It states your EDD and you then tell work you want to start maternity leave 2 weeks before this. You then book your annual leave for 2 weeks before this date.

Your maternity leave has to kick in on the day baby is born so if that is during the annual leave period then the maternity pay will start but I assume work would allow you to save the annual leave to use at the end of the mat leave instead.

As everyone else has said yes. I am on annual leave at the moment, maternity starting on 21st jan. Be warned though my company wont pay you for the holiday you lose if baby comes early which sucks!

As others have said what you are planning is fine. When I has DC1 I officially started my mat leave on my due date (but took holiday before I left), but DS came a week early so my mat leave then started a week earlier than planned. My work agreed to pay me for those holiday days, but I don't think they were obligated to do that, they could have let me add them to the end of my mat leave though.

With my current pregnancy I am planning to start mat leave 2 weeks before my due date and take 2 weeks holiday before that. Any remaining holiday will be added to the end of my mat leave, so I can have the best part of a month paid before I return to work.

Oh and don't forget you should accrue bank holiday days as well while you are off.