When is everyone starting their maternity / holidays?!

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Morning everyone!

Just wanted some other people's plans and maybe some advice to help me decide what to do (sorry it's a long one!)

My baby is due 18th of August. I've only used 3/4 days of this years holidays so far so basically I can use all of this years holiday entitlement to extend my maternity and start it early.

Bit of a complicated one as I don't intent on actually going back to my current place of work after my maternity so I don't want to/need to extend the end of my maternity cause I will only have to pay the holidays back!

So I have 23 days holidays, do I just stick these onto the beginning of my maternity and have a nice relaxed few weeks before the baby comes? I'm starting maternity the 10th of August so I was thinking of using 20 holidays and having 3 weeks off before my maternity meaning I could finish work the 17th of July and I'd be done. It sounds amazing and so tempting but I don't know if I'm missing something and if there would be a better option haha! I would just leave those 3 days holiday and I'd be paid for them when I leave that job

Thanks in advance!! ☺️❤️

Hey, it's weird I actually come on here to find a thread to do with mat leave.

I've got three weeks annual leave to use so I'm leaving work in the next couple of weeks I'll only be 34 weeks when my annual leave kicks in and my mat leave will kick in at 37 weeks but I know I'm having baby by 39 weeks so I'm not bothered it starting a bit earlier.

Ive been so stressed lately and so tempted to move it even more forward, I've suffered badly with this pregnancy and I have a very high stressed job so I'm debating to go middle of June now but I want as much time of with my baby too.

It's so hard!!

Let me know what you decide to do! X

I am about to email my hr department because I'm confused about holidays and what I need to take and when.
My holiday year runs Jan to Dec with upto 5 carry over days that need to be taken by Easter. Which would mean (I think) that I have to take it all before I leave in August. However, the company has changed the policy in light of covid 19 allowing more days to be carried over and without the restriction of having to take carry over days by Easter if I have read the email correctly.
My partners company haven't changed their policy. It might be worth asking what your companies policy is as it could be different to usual.

My bubba is due 24th June. My Mat leave starts on the 15th June but i added holiday on at the beginning so i went on Mat leave on the 13th May. Its definitely worth doing!
Gives yourself plenty of time to rest / clean and nest before baby gets here.

Dont forget you will also accrue holidays over the period of your maternity leave which they need to pay you for, even if you dont return to work.

In my job if I don't return for at least a month after mat leave I have to pay back my maternity pay, does your employer not have a clause like this? If so would it be worth adding them on to the end as technically you are back to work then but just off on leave and you could leave after that?

I've been furloughed until end of June(been off work since March 😫) and if I go back to work I'm going to go as close to my due date as possible, to make up for the fact I've been off work. This will clearly depend on how I'm feeling too!
I have around 3 weeks of work left and my firm have already said I can tag these holidays on at the end of my Mat leave, given that the government are allowing you to carry over your annual leave to next year.

I’m due on the 19th of June and my last day of work is tomorrow. Taking it as annual leave and maternity leave officially starts on the baby’s due date. This is mainly for financial reasons as I only get statutory pay. Originally I was going to try and work for a bit longer as I’m working from home and thought I’d cope but the hot weather has made me really uncomfortable so definitely feel ready to wrap up working now!

I'm due Sept 25th going to start maternity from 14th. I was really mulling it over about how early to start but I want to save my annual leave to use up next year x

I’m due towards end of August and was originally planning to work until end of July , my may leave due to start1st August but thinking over the last week or so I think I will use annual leave and finish the middle of July if possible, I had my first baby the day after I finished work so I want some time beforehand this time around!

I'm due 12th August and planning to finish work 3rd July, then use 4 weeks annual leave. It's quite early but I'm having a ELCS so no risk of going 2 weeks over. I have a 2 year old and it will be nice to spend some more time with him before baby arrives, plus me and husband are currently both trying to work full time from home and look after toddler, so hoping finishing a little early will help take some stress out of this situation! With my first I had nearly 3 weeks before he arrived and I had a lovely time!

Yep just add them on before.

What id do in your case is start Mat Leave on the EDD and put all the leave in front of that. Just means your 52 weeks off will start a week later.

Check you aren't eligible for enhanced maternity pay as you will need to repay anything over SMP if you do not return.

Thanks for all your replies everyone.

@mothertoone2 thank you! I think my plan is very similar to yours by the sounds of things. My maternity is starting at 38 but I don't want to be working till then so I'm thinking 3 weeks holidays so I can finish at 35 weeks.

@superscientist depending on how long you're having off I would say you probably need to use them unless that's what they have changed in their COVID policy update. My company actually let you carry over all your AL that you accrue on maternity (I work for a semi private civil service company) BUT I don't intend on going back so by not using them I'm essentially wasting them cause I hopefully won't be there next financial year to use them.

@luluPDB this is what I think I'm going to do! Gives me chance to relax and get the house sorted :)

@LH1987 I will technically accrue them while I'm off but it's those that I'm going to use before my maternity as I'm allowed to take them before I've accrued them. I would just need to pay them back if I left before the next financial year :)

@babyB19 I think a lot of places do what you've mentioner. My company offer 'company pay' and SMP, I've declined the company pay as they would require me to go back to work for 6 months minimum before I could leave whereas taking SMP I can hand my notice in whilst on maternity :)

@lockdownpregnancy aw bless you! That must be difficult, I've been working from home so luckily it hasn't changed anything for me. I originally wanted to stay at work as long as I could before maternity but I'm already so uncomfortable and in so much pain I don't want to be working till I'm about to pop. Go with whatever is best for you!

@Mademoiselle14 I don't blame you!! Even working from home is so difficult and I'm only 28 weeks, my company reckon we'll be working from home the rest of the year which will be better than going to the office when I'm big but I'm still not going to enjoy working in my spare bedroom when it's red hot in July!

@cherryrainbow I don't blame you at all! I'd be doing the same if I was returning to the same job but as I'm planning not to I have to take them at the start really

@wudgy that sounds like a plan. None of my family think I will go full term for some reason haha so I kind of want some time to relax and sort the house etc before she arrives so hoping to take my AL before my maternity ❤️

@violet850 at this point I went to bring it forward as far as I can haha I'm in agony sat at my desk at home all day every day!! I think that's a good plan you have, I want some time to relax and prep before baby gets here!

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz I've already submitted my maternity start date and don't think I can change it now :( I'm just taking SMP anyway as I'm going to be still at uni so getting student loan. If I took company pay they want me to commit to going back for 6 months after I return and I work night shifts so don't want to do that!!

In that case I'd say no brainier and take it all before you go off and have a nice rest before the baby comes 🥰 good luck!

If I've read the email right, I will be able to carry over any days not taken and will have 2 years to take the carry over days. If this is right it will be amazingly timed! They are encouraging us to take annual leave during the lockdown but are concerned about everyone taking holiday at the same time when restrictions are lifted so annual leave will be rationed over the summer and autumn so that we don't end up understaffed. I will be returning after mat leave so I don't have that extra concern.