Can you go on maternity leave while they have given notice to improve?

atwitsend_2

On friday me and 2 other staff members got indentical letters stating that head office were giving us 4 weeks to improve before they take a more formal aproach on competency and performance issues....
Now I was meant to be taking my maternity leave in december, but have emailed them today giving them 28 days notice to start my maternity leave in 4 weeks, and yes I did ndo this to avoid being sacked
Is this ok? Can they refuse me maternity leave early? Ovbiously I am going to be spot on for the next 4 weeks so they can't fire me for gross misconduct. :cool:

Rockporkchop

You can choose when to start your maternity leave, as long as it is any date from the beginning of the 11th week before the week the baby is due (provided you give 28 days' notice).

Sounds like it should be fine! Good luck.

MrsFreeburn

Yes, you shouldn't have any issues!

LittleVoice

atwitsend wrote: »

On friday . . . got indentical letters stating that head office were giving us 4 weeks to improve before they take a more formal aproach on competency and performance issues....
. . . . Ovbiously I am going to be spot on for the next 4 weeks so they can't fire me for gross misconduct. :cool:

Well, if you are going to be "spot on" I guess you think that would be an improvement (or do you not think there was need for improvement?) If that is the case, what grounds would they have to "take a more formal approach" if you were still there?

If you think they would take a more formal approach, that would still take time to work through - and might well be up to the time you were originally planning to take maternity leave any way.

Are you over-reacting? Are you in a team where the team performance is being brought down by someone other than you?

Savy_3

atwitsend wrote: »

Now I was meant to be taking my maternity leave in december, but have emailed them today giving them 28 days notice to start my maternity leave in 4 weeks, and yes I did ndo this to avoid being sacked
Is this ok? Can they refuse me maternity leave early? Ovbiously I am going to be spot on for the next 4 weeks so they can't fire me for gross misconduct. :cool:

Be aware that your employer can probably just suspend disciplinary proceedings until you return from maternity leave. This means you will still get your maternity leave, but maybe not much more.

The previous poster is right though, chances are they couldn't follow the formal procedues through to the end between now and December anyway.