Extending 52wks maternity with A/L?

[kishpuss]

Hi everyone,

I’d like to gather your thoughts on whether this would be a cheeky request:) I am currently 11 wks pregnant. My manager knows I am pregnant but we have not discussed maternity leave yet because it’s early days (still haven’t had my dating scan).

However, I’m obviously already thinking about it and I would like to take a week off (A/L) before my due date and then go on 52 weeks maternity. Would it then be cheeky of me if I asked to extend that by another 4 weeks at the end of the 52 weeks with the holiday I will have accrues during mat leave?

TIA!

I think that's pretty common. In fact some places make you do that as you can't carry over leave to the next year. I did it with both of mine.

Its pretty normal, I had DD1 and DD2 18m apart, my accrued annual leave meant I only went back to work for 4 months and then had 14months off for DD2 x

Normal. There's no real reason to not allow you to take it either. DC1 I went back after 13.5 months with annual leave. DC2 I will be going back after 13 months.

I was made to do that as you build up leave whilst on mat leave. I'd have been off lots after I went back if I didn't.
I did use some leave to go back 4 days a week though to ease me back in. It's quite a stressful job.

It's very normal. You accumulate your AL whilst on Mat leave so employers would usually prefer you to take it before your return anyway!

It’s normal, you don’t have to decide now. I didn’t until we talked about return to work dates towards the end of the leave. I took an extra 4 weeks then used the rest of the accrued leave to work part time for a few weeks.

Standard to tag AL on to start/end of Mat leave. I have always done it as never want to do the final 3 months of mat leave as they are unpaid, so use AL instead to give me nearly a year off on decent pay

It’s pretty normal, I’m doing that and so did most people I know.

thanks everyone! Appreciate your feedback :)