Maternity, Paternity & Other Leave
All female employees are entitled to 26 weeks Ordinary
Maternity Leave (OML) whatever their length of service or hours.
You have the right to return to exactly the same job after your
OML.
If you have 26 week's service (at the 14th week before the
expected week of childbirth), you will also be entitled to
Additional Maternity Leave (AML). This extends maternity leave for
a further 26 weeks starting from the end of OML. The total period
of maternity leave is one year.
Your leave can start at any time after the 11th week before the
expected week of childbirth. It is up to you to decide when you
start your maternity leave, so long as the start date is after the
11th week before your due date. The latest maternity leave can
start is the date your baby is born. You count your 26 weeks from
the date you start your leave
The right to paid paternity leave was introduced in April 2003.
It is the right to be "absent from work for the purpose of caring
for a child or supporting the child's mother".
Working Families
Working families is a charity set to up to help people achieve a
better work-life balance. They offer advice on a wide range of
issues, including flexible working, paternity leave, and
consultation for parents returning to work. For further
information visit their website Working
Families: Changing the way we live and
work.
If your partner is adopting a child (or you are adopting jointly) you may be entitled to paternity leave and paternity pay for adopters.
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Adoption leave was introduced in April 2003. Ordinary adoption leave (OAL) lasts for 26 weeks.
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The right to paid paternity leave was introduced in April 2003.
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If you are a parent, including adoptive parents, an unmarried father named on the child's birth certificate or have parental responsibility for a child you may be entitled to parental leave.
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All female employees, irrespective of service or hours worked are entitled to paid time off during normal working hours for ante natal care.
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You generally have the right to return to exactly the same job after your maternity leave.
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All female employees, whether temporary or permanent and regardless of hours worked or length of service, are automatically protected from dismissal
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Separate from your rights to maternity leave you may have a right to either Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or Maternity Allowance (MA).
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All women employees are entitled to 26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML) whatever their length of service or hours.
Read more