How Long Is Maternity Leave in the UK?

How many weeks is maternity leave?

Statutory Maternity Leave lasts for up to 52 weeks.

It is divided into two parts:

• Ordinary Maternity Leave – the first 26 weeks
• Additional Maternity Leave – the following 26 weeks

Together, these give you a maximum of 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave.

How many months is maternity leave?

Maternity leave is legally measured in weeks rather than months. The full 52 weeks is roughly 12 months, so it is often described as a year of maternity leave. Exactly when it finishes will depend on the date your maternity leave starts.

Do you have to take the full 52 weeks of maternity leave?

No. You can choose to return to work before the end of your 52-week entitlement. However, you must take at least 2 weeks of compulsory maternity leave immediately after your baby is born. If you work in a factory, the compulsory period is 4 weeks. If you originally planned to take the full period but later decide to return earlier, you normally need to give your employer at least 8 weeks' notice of your new return date.

Does everyone get 52 weeks of maternity leave?

Statutory Maternity Leave is available to employees regardless of how long they have worked for their employer, how many hours they work or how much they earn, provided they meet the relevant requirements and give the correct notice. This is different from Statutory Maternity Pay, which has its own qualifying conditions. So you could be entitled to 52 weeks of maternity leave without qualifying for Statutory Maternity Pay.

When can maternity leave start?

You can normally choose to start maternity leave from the beginning of the 11th week before the week your baby is due. It can start later than this, including close to the birth. There are also circumstances where maternity leave can start automatically. For example:

• if your baby is born early, your maternity leave starts the day after the birth
• if you are absent from work because of a pregnancy-related illness during the 4 weeks before the week your baby is due, your maternity leave will normally start automatically

Does maternity leave have to start when the baby is born?

No. You can start maternity leave before your baby is born, from as early as 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth. This means your 52 weeks of maternity leave do not necessarily correspond to your baby's first 52 weeks. If you start maternity leave several weeks before your baby arrives, some of your 52-week entitlement will already have been used by the time they are born.

How long is maternity leave paid for?

Maternity leave and maternity pay do not last for the same length of time. Statutory Maternity Leave can last for up to 52 weeks, while Statutory Maternity Pay can normally be paid for up to 39 weeks if you qualify. This means that if you take the full 52 weeks and rely only on Statutory Maternity Pay, the final 13 weeks are normally unpaid. Your employer may offer enhanced maternity pay which changes how much you receive or how long you continue receiving pay.

Can you take less than 52 weeks of maternity leave?

Yes. You can choose how much maternity leave to take, subject to the compulsory period immediately after the birth. For example, you might choose to take:

• 26 weeks
• 39 weeks
• 9 months
• the full 52 weeks

If you return earlier than the date your employer is expecting, you normally need to give at least 8 weeks' notice.

Does annual leave build up during maternity leave?

Yes. You continue to build up your annual leave entitlement while you are on Statutory Maternity Leave. Annual leave cannot normally be taken at the same time as maternity leave, but it can potentially be taken immediately before or after it. This can be useful when planning how long you want to remain away from work.

Can you take longer than 52 weeks of leave?

You cannot take more than 52 weeks of Statutory Maternity Leave for one pregnancy. But that does not necessarily mean you have to return to work as soon as those 52 weeks end. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to remain away from work for longer by using:

• annual leave you have accrued
• Unpaid Parental Leave
• additional family leave offered by your employer
• another period of unpaid leave agreed with your employer

Shared Parental Leave does not provide additional leave on top of the maternity leave entitlement. Instead, it allows eligible parents to share some of the leave the birth parent chooses not to take. So while Statutory Maternity Leave itself is capped at 52 weeks, your overall period away from work can potentially be longer if you combine it with other forms of leave. Your Family Leave Plan helps you bring your maternity leave, pay and other family leave options together so you can understand how much time you could take off and what that could mean for your income.