Carrying over holiday when going on maternity leave

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I have my full year’s annual leave entitlement of 25 days to use by September 2019 but I am not going to get to use it before going on maternity leave. I’m currently off sick and plan to start my maternity leave at 29 weeks, so won’t be returning in between.

I’ve seen that you can carry over a maximum of 20 days of sickness or maternity leave means that you cannot use your holiday. Would that be the case here and I would keep most of my holiday and lose the remaining five days? Or can all of it be carried over?

It depends on your company, in my experience. Mine let me carry it over but others haven't.

If they don't let you, can you take your holiday before you start maternity leave (as long as the baby doesn't arrive early)?

I was only allowed to carry 5 days so as pp says added it onto the front of my mat leave. Meant that I had a month off and only started Mat leave at the last possible moment.

Sorry just read your post properly. That is no help to you unless you don't get full pay for sick leave..

Sorry will be quiet.

lots of places roll it all over, alternatively can't you go on annual leave for a week before you start mat leave at 30 weeks

Thank you for your replies.

ACAS says that the law states they have to carry over 20 days. So I didn’t think it was dependant upon the company. My HR department tend to like to do what they want and I’d hoped to be able to have a better idea of what they should be allowing rather than what they said. I’ll give ACAS a call.

Yes, I do get full pay for sick leave and I could stay off sick. I feel a bit bad for doing so but I shouldn’t. I could also take the holiday before going on maternity leave, I was just hoping to have longer off after the birth.

Thanks for your responses.

Don't forget you accrue annual leave while you are still getting paid during maternity leave.

If your sickness is maternity related they might start you mat leave early.

I would ask my employer about carrying over more holidays or if they would pay me in lieu of holidays that can’t be taken.

ACAS are the best people to advise other than your employer.

you should definitely accrue all your annual leave while on maternity leave and use it at the end of the leave if not the beginning

Your entitlement to accrue/carry over leave may depend on how long you have been/will be off sick.

If your 25 days leave doesn’t include public holidays it’s above statutory minimum levels and in most contracts you will stop accruing that level of annual leave after a certain amount of sick leave.