Pregnancy & Baby 

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Working and pregnant?

So what are your rights and what should you get? The Maternity Alliance with the low down on maternity at work

The law is very complicated and the table below is a summary of what you'll get. This depends on how long you have been in your present job by the date your baby is due. There are a few key things to remember when you read about your rights:

• It doesn’t matter if you work full time or part time, the same rights still apply
• If you’re not an employee you have different rights
• You still have maternity rights if you are on a fixed-term contract
• These rights apply to all mothers who have a live birth or a stillbirth
• This is information on your legal minimum rights. Your employer may have agreed to give you better rights than these, so you should always check your contract or ask your union or the human resources department
• Your employer cannot give you worse rights than stated here
• The law on maternity rights has changed several times in recent years. It is important to make sure you have the most up-to-date information

What will I get?

How long have you been in your present job?	I was already pregnant when I started my present job
Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML)	See Maternity Leave
Additional Maternity Leave (AML)	x
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)	x But possibly Maternity Allowance,
Time off for antenatal care	See Other rights
Health &Safety protection	See Other rights
Protection from dismissal or unfair treatment	See Other rights

How long have you been in your present job?	I started my job before I got pregnant
Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML)	See Maternity Leave
Additional Maternity Leave (AML)	See Additional Maternity Leave
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)	Probably, but check the rules. If not, possibly Maternity Allowance.
Time off for antenatal care	See Other rights
Health & Safety protection	See Other rights
Protection from dismissal or unfair treatment	See Other rights

For more information on your rights at work during pregnancy, please send £2 and an SAE for the Maternity Alliance factsheet 'Pregnant at work'.

Information supplied by:

THE MATERNITY ALLIANCE
2-6 Northburgh Street
London EC1V 0AY
Information line: 020 7490 7638

The Maternity Alliance Education and Research Trust is a registered charity no. 285804. Give as You Earn registration no. 00000773

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