Any HR people around? Holidays and maternity leave query...

[Tootifroooooti]

Am I able to take holiday that I haven’t accrued yet to start maternity leave early?

I’m due 24th May but wanted to go on the 1st May.

My holiday year runs from 1st January - 31st December and I work 3 days a week.

By May, I’ll have 12 days holiday that I haven’t accrued yet. I know that I can add it on afterwards but can I add it on before?

Not a hr person, but I've kind of got the same dates in mind as you.
At my company at least I can only get holidays on what I'll work this year. So from jan to May. That's 11.5 days for me. Then the holidays that build up May to December will be added onto my entitlement when I got back in early 2021.

It's probably done like that so people don't take all the holidays before mat leave then not come back after it.

Where I work, same holiday year, you can take your whole years entitlement before you go if you want, or carry some over.

I am due in June and will have taken a week in March, then 3 weeks before my due date.

I will carry over 1week to next year to tag on the end of maternity leave to minimise the no pay period.

22+6

It will be down to company policy, check your contract/staff handbook or ask HR.

I started my maternity on the 2nd of Jan last year (2 weeks before maternity) - anyone in my company could take all their holiday in the January & February if they wanted though - so may be company specific?

Thanks all.

With my last maternity leave I ended up with loads left but was told I could only carry forward 5 days so I just wasted days here and there which I’d rather not do this time.

I can see the point about not giving holiday incase you don’t return although I’d still be on maternity leave but the time I’ve accrued all of it so I hope they take it!

My boss said they’d speak to HR but I could be waiting a while

Only being able to carry 5 over doesn’t sound right - I’ve had all of my holidays carried over to this year (approximately 3 weeks)

They can't restrict days carried over of you were on maternity leave that's illegal. You will have to take them straight after maternity leave though

Agh that’s annoying! I wish I had known that before!

At my employer we receive our yearly allowance of annual leave and can take it at any time (for example you can take a week of leave in the first week of a new leave year). I think some workplaces can legally allow you to accrue leave and take it in arrears as you describe. Whichever policy a work place has they would have to use the same policy for pregnant and non-pregnant employees.

It will be company policy, but unless you have said you are planning to go back before the end of your holiday year I would expect them to let you use it either before or after. You can carry over the full amount to the end of your leave if you want though, regardless of their policy, as you have been prevented from taking it in the correct year due to pregnancy. It makes sense to take it all now if you want to, as otherwise if you dont go back until you are due to return in May, you will have all of this years leave, plus next years to use before the end of Dec next year, which most employers wouldn't want.