Declaring maternity leave

[kitchenSink5]

Hope it's ok to post here.

I am applying for promotion in work and can't get an answer from HR about this. One of the criteria requires 3 years experience out of the last 7 years. Apart from a year on maternity leave I have being doing the job to give me the experience requested for more than 7 years. So should I write I have 6 years experience in the last 7 and then explain the gap (maternity) or say I have 7 years in the last 7 which isn't strictly true.

Any advice welcome. Thank you :)

Maternity leave counts as continuous service. I would be surprised if they advised you to declare it as a year ‘off’. Potentially discriminatory, especially if the role goes to someone with a full 7 years.