Maternity / Annual leave

[SerialSleeper25]

Hi all

Can anyone explain to be the rules around annual leave before going on maternity leave when working for the NHS (Band 3) I'm getting mixed answers or not really any answers.

Am I meant to be taking a year's annual leave before going on maternity or only accrued over the 6 months (April - September)

Baby is due 2nd October so currently looking at starting maternity leave around a week before.

Any guidance would be great.

Thank you

Following as I'm in the same position and don't understand it!

You don't have to take annual leave before maternity leave. You can tag it on to the end, if you'd prefer

This is where I'm confused. Our financial year is April 1st to April 1st. So I'm near enough 6 months either side of two financial years. So from September until April would this be the only part of 2024 annual leave to roll over into when I return from maternity leave?

Brain is starting to melt

Whatever a/l not used this year is carried over to your return next year. Most of our staff take whatever is carried over and tag onto when they would have to return. Last person added 6 weeks on to end of mat leave.

I am due in September and I’m not taking any A/L out of this year’s entitlement and adding it on the end of my Maternity leave to extend my time off. I was told I could use it how ever I liked

It depends on the trust and your manager. If you're due in October and coming back after April (over 7 months) in my trust you take your annual leave entitlement before maternity leave.
Unless baby comes early! In my case baby came 15 days early so had to carry 2 weeks over.

No you don't have to use all your AL before you go off, though most people use a bit - eg finish at 37 weeks, use 2 weeks AL, mat leave from 39 weeks. Should baby arrive sooner, you just start the mat leave from baby's birth date and get the AL back.