Maternity Leave Start Date Help!

NurseMoneySaver1122

Hi,

My company has given me a form to complete which is asking for the date I intend to start my maternity leave on.

I read somewhere before that I can either go on maternity leave on a specific date or from the day after my baby is born...I want to do the latter if it's allowed.  But I'm confused how I provide a date when I don't know what date the baby will actually be born.

My assumption is I give my due date, but I really want to avoid starting mat leave on that date if baby is not yet here.  But equally, I wanted to make sure that I have a right to start my mat leave then (as opposed to a fixed date), before requesting it and making a fool of myself lol.

How should I go about requesting starting mat leave the day after baby is born? And do I have a right to request this, as I think I've read?

orchid2010

I believe you have to give your employer 28 days written notice of maternity leave if you want to claim SMP.  Your expected due date will be on your MATB1 from the midwife so would be the date to put on the form.  Taking maternity leave from the day after the baby is born only applies if the baby is born earlier than the due date.  

68ComebackSpecial

orchid2010 said:

I believe you have to give your employer 28 days written notice of maternity leave if you want to claim SMP.  Your expected due date will be on your MATB1 from the midwife so would be the date to put on the form.  Taking maternity leave from the day after the baby is born only applies if the baby is born earlier than the due date.  

Not quite right. The employee must notify their employer of their planned start date for maternity leave at least 15 weeks before their due date, but can change it with 28 days notice.

Savvy_Sue

I did a google, and was left unclear about whether you could keep working after your due date if baby was late. However, I didn't find anything which said you couldn't.

It might not be an employer's first choice, could depend on the nature of your work and what cover is needed. I would speak to your HR department and state your intention to start m/l the day AFTER baby is born, whenever that is, and ask how they want you to handle that if you give due date. I know there's always the possibility of you leaving early with no notice (one friend gave birth six weeks early, which was a bit of a hiccup in the planned handover!) 

Presumably the employer has done a risk assessment and can't foresee any problems with you working to full-term.

Also bear in mind that by the time you are full-term, you may be only too ready to give up ...