What is Maternity Leave?

Maternity leave is a fundamental right for UK employees, and employers and employees alike should understand its specifics. Under UK employment law, maternity leave offers pregnant women and new mothers various protections and benefits that should be understood before going on leave. This guide offers an exhaustive look into all rights, provisions, and procedures related to maternity leave in the UK.

Statutory Maternity Leave

Under UK employment law, pregnant women who provide sufficient notice are entitled to 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave after giving notice. This period consists of 26 weeks each of “Ordinary Maternity Leave” and “Additional Maternity Leave”, though employees can take less time as required (a minimum of 2 weeks post birth is compulsory for factory workers).

Statutory Maternity Pay: Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) can last for up to 39 weeks. For the first six weeks, employees receive 90% of their average weekly earnings (before tax). After this, for 33 weeks employees either receive either 172.48 per week or 90% of their average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) paid as they would typically do their regular wages.

Eligibility

To qualify for Statutory Maternity Leave, employees must give notice at least 15 weeks before their due date; to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay they must have worked continuously with their employer up until ‘qualifying week’ (15th week before anticipated delivery); earning on average at least...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiZGh0dHBzOi8vZGFpbHliaW9uZXdzLmNvbS8y...