Maternity Leave next year but I have to book annual leave in now. What’s most sensible?

[Pregleave]

I’ll get 1 year off - 6 months full pay, 3 month statutory and 3 unpaid. My annual leave cycle/calendar starts the month before I’m due.

I have to pick in week blocks and get 6 weeks in total.

From those who have planned theirs or parents who have had children already, what would be the most sensible way of doing annual leave whilst on Mat leave?

How soon did you go on mat leave or how much A/L did you take before baby was born?

I used as little annual leave as possible so that I knew if I was struggling for money and needed to go back sooner I could go back and use some annul leave to phase in verrrrry slowly or just continue my time off.

i used annual leave when I went back to do a phased return working part time for months before going back full time. Once I was back full time I still had my years worth of annual leave which was useful for sick days and just taking breaks when needed but could also use bigger chunks for usual family holidays etc.

You can't take annual leave whilst on maternity leave. It all accrues until you return.

I think a lot depends on when in your annual leave cycle you will be due to return?
I have in the past added some to the end of Mat leave and kept some back for the remainder of the year, this time I'd be returning so close to the end of the leave year that I've booked it all straight after Mat leave ends.

I think you need to add it on to the beginning or end of your mat leave? I plan to use mine to extend my leave from 9 months to 10 months, with 6 months full pay, 3 statutory then taking my annual leave that I’ve accrued. My baby is due end of March, and I’m hoping I won’t need much leave in Jan - March, so should accrue most of it.

I took all my AL for the year last time, started at 35 weeks then my ML started the day after my due date. Can you either do this or use it when you'd be on unpaid ML so you'll get paid for some of it?

As others have said it accures while you are off, I always tagged mine on the end, but like others have said you can save it and spread it out either to come back more slowly or to cover sick days.

It's worth discussing with HR - my HR department let me do some quite creative things with AL that weren't totally consistent with the policy.

You are allowed to pass annual leave onto the next year as well, that’s an option.

I planned to work until 39weeks then go on ML, passing all my leave to next year. In reality ds came at 35+0. I’m taking the year including the unpaid weeks and saving all the leave for when I go back. I haven’t decided what to do with it yet whether to do 2-3 day weeks for a while or just use it all in one go.

Hi @Pregleave
I'm taking 1 or 2 days as annual leave every week at the moment.