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Maternity leave: introduction

If you are a mother who is an employee, you have the statutory right to a minimum amount of maternity leave. Your employer may also offer their own maternity leave scheme. Find out how much leave you may qualify for.

The basics of maternity leave

Statutory Maternity Leave is for 52 weeks. You may be entitled to receive Statutory Maternity Pay for up to 39 weeks of the leave.

To qualify for maternity leave you must be an ‘employee’. If you are unsure if you are an ‘employee’, follow the link below.

Personalised help

You get personalised help on what you may qualify for by using the Tailored Interactive Guidance on Employment Rights (TIGER) tool.

The tool will produce a personalised statement of the maternity leave and pay that you may qualify for, along with an interactive calendar to help you plan your leave.

Company schemes

Your employer may have their own scheme which could be more generous than the statutory scheme. Check your contact of employment or staff handbook for details or ask your employer. Your employer can't offer you less than the statutory scheme.

Qualifying for statutory maternity leave

As an 'employee' you have the right to 26 weeks of 'ordinary maternity leave' and 26 weeks of 'additional maternity leave' making one year in total. Provided you meet certain notification requirements, you can take this no matter how long you have been with your employer, how many hours you work or how much you are paid. You continue to be an employee throughout your ordinary and additional maternity leave.

Surrogate parents

If you and your husband, wife or partner are having a child through surrogacy you will not normally be eligible for Statutory Maternity or Adoption Leave. However you will be eligible for unpaid parental leave once you have got a parental order.  

Where to get help

Acas (the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) offers free, confidential and impartial advice on all employment rights issues.

Your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) can provide free and impartial advice. You can find your local CAB office in the phone book or online.

If you are a member of a trade union, you can get help, advice and support from them.

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