Public holidays and maternity leave

[ZombiouslyGhoulblivious]

Sorry I know this subject comes up a lot....

My employer (a local authority) specifically states in the maternity policy that public holidays DO NOT accrue whilst an employee is on maternity leave. Can they do this?

Interesting.. my employer (NHS) does allow bank holidays to be accrued.

Thank you Smile. I'd still be interested to know whether I should speak to the union about this.

I am keen to know too as am on maternity and not getting them I work for a large well known private company. It hadn't occurred to me to ask for them.

Didn't they pass a law in 2008 which said pregnant women got them?

Direct.gov usually has the detail or call ACAS.

We must have people coming back from ML every month, I keep wondering whether it's been queried before and if not why not?

I'll try to find a link, but I thought this changed around 2008/2009. When I came back from my Mat leave, I suddenly had extra holiday days as the law had changed just before I went off apparently.

I can't fine one clear link that covers it all. I think the basis of it is that if your employer gives workers additional paid time off on bank holidays, then they have to give that to everyone, and whilst on mat leave, you build up all of your holiday entitlements. If your employer only allows you to take bank holidays as paid annual leave, deducting it from your accrued holiday, then you wouldn't get them as extra, but you should get your full amount of annual leave, as you haven't "spent" any on bank holidays. Hope that makes sense.

Bank holidays link.

Mat leave link.

That makes sense Pally

I have just started mat leave and forgot to work out my entitlement actually.

Will add it to my to do list...

Well I get twenty something days holiday plus paid bank holidays off... So sounds like perhaps I should accrue them?

I work for a local authority and am accruing my bank holidays as extra days of annual leave while I'm on mat leave.

I thought most local authorities had similar HR policies and am surprised you're not accruing your bank holidays too.

I accrued them( local authority)

Ok. Perhaps I'll have a chat with unison. Thanks!