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Original poster

Is it an unwritten rule that you don’t take the annual leave you accrue on maternity leave?

86 replies

ForSnugLimeExpert · 23/02/2025 10:56

I will preface by saying I do sometimes struggle with understanding unspoken rules or to recognise when people don’t mean what they say.

I came back from maternity leave towards the end last year, and asked HR if it was possible to carry over the leave until this year. I also asked my manager if he had a preference for how I took the leave, and he said, no, to take it however I wanted. I had also asked this before I went on leave and got the same response.

So I didn’t take any leave last year as I wanted to hit the ground running a bit, and instead have asked to take every Friday off for a while. My manager approved this, all good, and I’ve enjoyed having a bit of time to get various errands done.

Except he’s now told me there’s been ‘pushback’ on this and it is not company policy to allow it all to be carried over. But as I have in writing from HR that I could, it will be upheld.

I’m pretty gutted because I am really aiming to be promoted at work and I feel like I’ve missed an opportunity to show that I’m dedicated. Or that I’m being perceived as taking the piss by asking for the time off.

If I had been told that it wasn’t really the done thing to actually take the extra leave, I would have been disappointed but at least I would have known.

OP posts:
Doodleflips · 23/02/2025 12:14

RainingRoses · 23/02/2025 11:01

No, I rolled over and used annual leave both times. And I had no problems doing so with work.

Show quote history

Fuck yes. Take your leave, you’ve earned it.

Loopytiles · 23/02/2025 12:16

Your line manager is the one at fault here, not you.

If there was a relevant, written policy eg about maximum leave to be carried over (there is one where I work - max 10 days, exceptional circumstances to be approved by manager at a certain level of seniority) he should have applied it. If there wasn’t a policy and it was at his discretion he approved it - after you’d asked for his preferences - so he should ‘own’ it and stop making negative comments.

Cookiesandcandies · 23/02/2025 12:17

Everyone who’s had maternity leave at my place has taken the leave, but you’re only allowed to carry it over in exceptional circumstance (eg you’re still on mat leave at the end of the holiday year). Our year ends in December, so if you came back in say September the expectation would be that you take your accrued holiday before the end of December or you would lose it.

If you came back in November/December this may not be achievable so you’d be allowed to carry some over

scotstars · 23/02/2025 12:21

I don't think it's the done thing at all not to take it. I went off with some unused leave and used this and my years accrued annual leave to return 3 days a week and get paid full time for several months

Original poster
ForSnugLimeExpert · 23/02/2025 12:24

Cookiesandcandies · 23/02/2025 12:17

Everyone who’s had maternity leave at my place has taken the leave, but you’re only allowed to carry it over in exceptional circumstance (eg you’re still on mat leave at the end of the holiday year). Our year ends in December, so if you came back in say September the expectation would be that you take your accrued holiday before the end of December or you would lose it.

If you came back in November/December this may not be achievable so you’d be allowed to carry some over

I was back in Sept so I could have taken it last year! I guess I don’t see why that would have been less disruptive though, using a whole years worth of leave in 4 months

OP posts:
Huskytrot · 23/02/2025 12:30

ForSnugLimeExpert · 23/02/2025 11:25

To add, I do think my manager is supportive and not bothered about me taking the leave but is just reporting what he’s hearing from higher ups. Which is even more unsettling in some ways because I don’t know who’s involved in the conversation or what exactly is being said.

You need to toughen up a bit. It sounds like nooone actually has a problem with you taking the leave, and even if they did it's a legal right.

You're going to face all sorts of situations where you need to be tough and put yourself and your new family first.

When the call comes from nursery that the child is sick, you (or DH) will need to leave and pick them up.
How you deal with that is up to you - it could be a confident "crikey what a pain, I'll go see how he is and log on later if I can" OR it could send you spiralling and panicking and worrying about people's views of you more than the actual work.
I know which employee i would promote.

WimbyAce · 23/02/2025 12:34

Everyone I know took their annual leave they were entitled to. My mat leave (1 year) started in April and our leave year is April to April so I did take some leave just before it started but then of course had some left to carry. I used mine at the end so that I was able to be off until June. I knew I would then have a new annual leave entitlement so it did need using. You just have to be sensible I think of when you use it.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 23/02/2025 12:41

Yoyr employer is an arsehole!

Is a legal right to take your annual leave accrued during maternity leave. If they didn't want you to carry it over they should have asked you to take it straight after maternity leave (a lot do this as already have
cover in place). Ignore it, book your leave just as you would normally.

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 23/02/2025 12:42

Bleachbum · 23/02/2025 11:19

First ask if there is a business impact to you only working 4 days per week. You need to get to the bottom of why this is now an issue. Is it the principle or is it a genuine issue.

If it’s a genuine issue then maybe try to figure out a compromise. When I was doing 3 days per week I had to be flexible and work it around the business. I couldn’t have set days. That wasn’t a problem for me, the flexibility worked both ways.

If it’s just the principle, then I would stick to your guns and stay with the working pattern that works best for you.

Show quote history

Employer can make her take the leave when it suits them best (all employees can do this)

itsnotjustyoumate · 23/02/2025 12:44

I was able to have my accrued leave paid to me instead

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 23/02/2025 12:45

ByQuaintAzureWasp · 23/02/2025 12:42

Employer can make her take the leave when it suits them best (all employees can do this)

Show quote history

Employers (not employees)

Northe · 23/02/2025 12:55

With my employer you would usually take the leave upon your return or be paid for it. It would be unusual to carry it over but since HR and management allowed it, it seems to be their miss not yours. I would be very clear that you would have been happy to comply with the policy but it was ambiguous that was why you asked for clarification and ended up with this arrangement. If you can, perhaps offer to sell the remaining leave back now or take it in a block if it suits them better. If you can't, they need to suck it up. If you want to use it to support your promo, could you try to collaborate with HR to work together on making the policies clear to employees (like a work together on a leaflet/tick list or something)

Sunholidays · 23/02/2025 12:56

I think the point that's slightly different in the OP's case is that she returned to work in September and she didn't take her accrued leave then, but the following year

Bumbers · 23/02/2025 12:57

I did this with both my mat leaves. Taking days that worked for me. This time, I didn't manage to take it all the year after and so am taking it the year after. Definitely take it.

CantHoldMeDown · 23/02/2025 13:00

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

WorkCleanRepeat · 23/02/2025 13:01

In my experience everybody uses the leave. Most people tack it on
to the end of their maternity leave.

Some companies frown upon people using leave to effectively render themselves part time for a period of time "eg taking Fridays off for months"

Others are fine with his. I think it very much depends on the size of the company and the culture.

caringcarer · 23/02/2025 13:04

ForSnugLimeExpert · 23/02/2025 11:25

To add, I do think my manager is supportive and not bothered about me taking the leave but is just reporting what he’s hearing from higher ups. Which is even more unsettling in some ways because I don’t know who’s involved in the conversation or what exactly is being said.

It sounds like a veiled threat to me. Of course you're entitled to take the holiday accrued during mat leave.

Crazybaby123 · 23/02/2025 13:05

I have been asked what I want to do with the mat leave accrued and tack it onto end of mat leave before.
Generally taking your leave a day a week o er time is not ok in companies I have worked for.
But tour manager did approve it to start so should have got it agreed with hr before hand. Looks like he fucked up by agreeing it now has to backtrack as HR have kicked off.

Persknally I don't see the issue but maybe there have been complaints from team members youbare working a 4 day week?

It sounds like your manager was teying to support your wishes but has been railroaded to comply with HR. Maybe talk to him and HR and try to come to an agreement with what to do with your leave that is left.

user2848502016 · 23/02/2025 13:06

No of course not, you're legally allowed to take it and everyone I know has. I used mine to add extra weeks to the end of my maternity leave (so I was getting full pay instead of SMP), but I also know people who have used it to do a 4 day week like you were planning.
I guess they could push back on taking every Friday off and ask that you take a different day or take it as a block instead if they have a valid reason why this is better for the company. Suggesting that you shouldn't take it at all is discrimination though and is illegal

Crazybaby123 · 23/02/2025 13:09

Actually, jjst reading,you went bwck in september and rolled over all your accrued leave to the following year.
I have never heard of a company allowing this, you can usually roll over 5 days max at managers discretion. I actually just lost 3 days of leave I did not take last year as was not approved.
I think everyone has fucked up here, the policy should have been clearly outlined to you when you enquired. Now it is a case of how many feathers you want to ruffle. Maybe get some legal advice on it.

JandamiHash · 23/02/2025 13:14

People I know did one of two things:

  1. Tacked it on to the end of Mat leave
  2. Had a day off every week - most used it for example to have six months of Fridays off before officially going part time so it’s like being part time but paid better

These are only not the “done thing” amongst colleagues who despise women, and hate the fact women go on maternity at all, because for some reason they’re think their workload should come before other people having families 🙄

JandamiHash · 23/02/2025 13:15

Crazybaby123 · 23/02/2025 13:09

Actually, jjst reading,you went bwck in september and rolled over all your accrued leave to the following year.
I have never heard of a company allowing this, you can usually roll over 5 days max at managers discretion. I actually just lost 3 days of leave I did not take last year as was not approved.
I think everyone has fucked up here, the policy should have been clearly outlined to you when you enquired. Now it is a case of how many feathers you want to ruffle. Maybe get some legal advice on it.

Maternity leave accrument is different rules by law

onwards2025 · 23/02/2025 13:19

You're only getting pushback because there's greater attention on it as you are taking it weekly so others at your workplace will have noticed it more, a lot of women take it as a block at the end of their maternity leave and then maybe only some odd days for the very first few weeks back, it's far less obvious that way. Neither is right or wrong

Maraudingmarauders · 23/02/2025 13:20

I worked a 3 day week for a few months to use up my leave, because I pointed out to my manager it a)meant they had me back in the office at least part time which took the pressure off the team (they didn’t hire a replacement whilst I was off) and b)I didn’t want to do KIT days to settle back in only to then have a month off on annual leave before I came back. In the end I used my KIT days to work 5 weeks of 2 day weeks before I did 3 days a week return using annual leave. It worked well for both of us.

JoyousEagle · 23/02/2025 13:21

Basically everyone I know added AL to the end of their maternity leave in some way. Often as a lump, but k used it to do quite a few 3 day weeks, with AL on Mondays and Tuesdays.