Excuse me, I'm having a baby
To give notice that you will be taking maternity leave, tell your employer the following things, at least 15 weeks before your baby is due. If your employer asks you to you must put it in writing. It is a good idea to keep a copy of all correspondence.
Tell your employer:
- that you are pregnant
- the expected week of childbirth
- the date on which you intend to start your maternity leave
To get Statutory Maternity Pay, you must give your employer a maternity certificate (form MAT B1) which your midwife or GP will give you when you are about 20 weeks pregnant. You must give your employer at least 28 days notice of the date you want to start your maternity pay but, in practice, most women give notice for leave and pay together in the 15th week before their baby is due.
Once you have given notice, your employer must write to you within 28 days and state the date you are expected to return from maternity leave. If you are entitled to Additional Maternity Leave your employer should assume at this stage that you will be returning to work after 52 weeks. Your employer can no longer write to you to ask you whether you intend to return to work.
If you cannot give enough notice (for example because you have to go into hospital unexpectedly), you must give notice as soon as you reasonably can.
Information supplied by:
THE MATERNITY ALLIANCE
2-6 Northburgh Street
London EC1V 0AY
Information Line 020 7490 7638
For more information, please send £1 and an SAE to the Maternity Alliance and ask for our factsheet giving notice for maternity and parental rights.
The Maternity Alliance Education and Research Trust is a registered charity no. 285804. Give as You Earn registration no. 00000773
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