When do I qualify for maternity leave?

[crouchingtigeress]

I wonder if anyone can help.

I do not understand my maternity policy, it states:

Employees who have 2 years continuous employment by the beginning of the 15th week before EWC.

So if I started in September 07 when do I qualify?

Many, many thanks if you can help

You would need to be due 15 wks after Sept this year if that makes sense. So if you started on 1st Sept 07, you'd need to be due around 2nd week in Dec this year, or later in order to qualify.
I think that's right. Does that help?

15 weeks before EWC (expected week of childbirth, or due date) is 25 weeks pregnant. You will have two years' service in September 2009, so whether you qualify depends on how pregnant you are at that stage.

I presume this is for extra maternity pay over and above statutory maternity pay, which you will qualify for anyway?

Thank you both for your comments, although I must confess I am still not entirely clear.

FBB yes it is for extra maternity.

So if I was due 2nd week in Dec does that mean the earliest I would qualify is 2nd week of March 2009. Meaning if I conceived now would I qualify?

25 weeks today is the 1st of October 2009 BUT if you conceived today you would be approximately 2 weeks pregnant depending on how regular your cycle is because they count from the date of your last period. Therefore that would make you 25 weeks in the middle of September 2009.

Remamber also that they could go off the date on the dating scan rather than the date of your last period and that isn't always that accurate.

I would leave it a month or so to be on the safe side.

Thank you that is helpful, Trixy

Many thanks to the three of you for your advice