Your Ultimate Guide to Maternity Leave in the UK
At MyBump2Baby, we are committed to educating our readers in every way that we can. Sometimes reading about your maternity rights can be stressful, which is not something you want to endure during pregnancy. That’s why we’ve brought you an Ultimate Guide to Maternity Leave in the UK.
Your Ultimate Guide to Maternity Leave in the UK
Pregnancy affects a mum-to-be not only in her personal life but in many aspects as well. A miracle as such requires a sacrifice of gigantic proportions from a strong mum. She’ll have to eat twice as much; she’ll have to endure the sight of stretch marks, she’ll experience bodily constraints and more.
But, pregnancy is never a question of a woman’s capacity. All women are capable of rearing a child. However, a mum is beyond determined to the devotion of a lifetime. At this point, she needs to exercise final caution and love to herself and her baby.
As such, the government acknowledges the need for a mum-to-be in subjecting herself to maternity leave. If you are a first-time mum or are blessed again but forgot what a maternity leave constitutes, this guide is made for you.
Statutory Maternity Leave
A woman is entitled to a statutory maternity leave despite her employment length. As the law prescribes, she’s entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave but only 39 weeks are granted with maternity pay.
The earliest you can start on maternity leave is 11 weeks from your childbirth. However, if you gave birth earlier than intended, your maternity leave will begin after the first day of birth. Although you have the option of not completing the 52 weeks you are given, you are required to take at least two weeks of a break after you gave birth.
Ordinary Maternity Leave or Additional Maternity Leave
There are two varying aspects of maternity leave. First, you have the ordinary maternity leave and the other one, the additional maternity leave.
- The Ordinary Maternity Leave consists of the first 26 weeks of your maternity leave. If you return to work within this period, you will go back to your original working arrangements.
- The Additional Maternity Leave, on the other hand, occurs when you exceed the first 26 weeks of maternity leave before coming back to work. For this matter, you can go back to your work if it’s still available.
Rights On Your Maternity Leave
If you’re currently on your maternity leave, these are the rights you are entitled to.
- You’re granted with paid holidays.
- You’re protected from unfair dismissal.
- You’re entitled to employment benefits (medical insurance, exclusive perks and
- memberships, etc.)
- You’re entitled to pension payments and rights during the period of your Statutory Maternity Pay.
Statutory Maternity Pay
While on maternity leave, you are entitled to maternity pay, and this is what the law identifies as the Statutory Maternity Pay. These are the conditions you must meet to be granted one:
- Must work for the same employer for 26 weeks when you reach the 15th week of pregnancy before childbirth.
- You must earn on average at least £120 each week.
Further Details About Statutory Maternity Leave and Maternity Pay
Since the computation of maternity pay involves taxes and percentages, we highly recommend that you consult with your human resource head for details and clarifications. They can also answer your queries and attend to organisational concerns if your employer doesn’t agree to your leave or doesn’t give you maternity pay.
As much as you need financial resources for the needs of your child, you must take a break and care for yourself as well. Every woman deserves to enjoy and cherish the moments of motherhood without any job woes.
Hi, I'm Emma and I'm MyBump2aby's family law, protection and financial editor. I'm passionate about better-informing parents on their choices when it comes to family law and family protection and financial matters.
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