When can work force mat leave? Sickness

[EnglishRain]

Hi

Think I am being dense. Maternity Action say that it is in the last four weeks of pregnancy. To calculate it, they say:

'Find the Sunday at the start of your EWC. Count back four Sundays. This is the start of your 4th week before your baby is due'

If I'm due on Sunday 19th July, is the date they can force mat leave from 21st June, or have I worked it out wrong?

Also, does anyone know how this is processed, would they just ring me up and tell me with immediate effect?

Thank you

[EnglishRain]

Cheeky bump

[Darkstar4855]

You are right, it’s 4 weeks before EDD or 36 weeks pregnant, so for you it would be 21st June.

I imagine they would have to notify you in writing but I don’t know for sure.

[Dyra]

Yup. Maternity leave will be started for you by your employer from 36 weeks if you are off with a pregnancy related sockness. 21st June for you seems correct.

I don't know if they contact you to tell you that though. When I contacted my boss to tell her I'd been admitted with pre-eclampsia at 36+1, she informed me as part of that call that my maternity leave was starting with immediate effect.

[EnglishRain]

That's really helpful, thank you both.

[JuneBaby20]

This is what happened to me due to Coronavirus ( I don’t have it but shops are closed so can’t go to work).
I emailed Head Office and asked if I can change the date and that woman said that she is not aware of the fact that I HAD to go off a whole month earlier and changed my date for me🙈 Maybe she made a mistake but it’s all signed now. Both of us have a copy that I’ll start my maternity two weeks before the baby comes😁

[FirstTimeBumps]

@JuneBaby20 yes they can only get you to take it early if you have a pregnancy related illness. Even if you had coronavirus it's not pregnancy related so it shouldn't trigger leave starting early.

[JuneBaby20]

The whole thing was really strange though. They just decided my mat leave date! So glad I just changed it!☺️