Pregnant at work

Are you a working mother-to-be or new parent? Maternity Action gives you up-to-date information on the rights and benefits you can claim during pregnancy and maternity leave

This factsheet tells you about your maternity and parental rights at work. The law is complicated and your rights and entitlements depend on how long you have been in your present job by the date your baby is due.

If you are unsure about how any of the information in this factsheet applies to you, seek legal advice.

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. The rights contained in this factsheet apply to mothers who have a premature baby and to all mothers who have a live birth at any time, or a stillbirth from week 24 onwards. You have the same maternity rights if you are an employee on a fixed-term or temporary contract and you may still get maternity pay if you do casual work. If you are not an employee, for example, because you are self-employed or doing casual work, you do not have the right to maternity leave but you may still get maternity pay and have other rights. This factsheet tells you your legal minimum rights. Your employer may give 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 those in this factsheet as that would be against the law.