{"id":171839,"date":"2022-07-11T04:16:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T03:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/?p=171839"},"modified":"2022-07-19T00:32:23","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T23:32:23","slug":"maternity-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/maternity-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"What Rights Does My Staff Have in Relation to Maternity Leave in England and Wales?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When employees fall pregnant, they have a right to take maternity leave.&nbsp;As an employer, you must understand the rights your staff have in terms of maternity leave and ensure you <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/responsibilities-pregnant-employees\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">grant these rights<\/a>. If you are unsure and do not give your employee their rights, you could face a claim at an employment tribunal. This article will explain your employees&#8217; rights concerning maternity leave in England and Wales.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maternity Leave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Your employees receive 52 weeks of maternity leave, regardless of how long they have worked for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maternity leave consists of \u2018Ordinary Maternity Leave\u2019 and \u2018Additional Maternity Leave\u2019. Your employee can take 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave, followed by 26 of additional maternity leave. Importantly, there is no gap allowed between the two forms of leave.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Maternity leave can start 11 weeks before the baby\u2019s due date and if the baby is born early, leave begins the day after it is born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Where your employees meet particular qualifying conditions, they are entitled to maternity pay for 39 weeks of their maternity leave. The qualifying conditions are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>they have worked continuously for you for 26 weeks before their \u2018qualifying week\u2019; and<\/li><li>their average pay for 8 weeks before their \u2018qualifying week\u2019 is a minimum of \u00a3120 per week.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your employee\u2019s qualifying week is 15 weeks before their baby is due. Where they do not meet the qualifying conditions, during the first 39 weeks of maternity leave, they will usually be entitled to another form of payment such as maternity allowance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n    <p>If your employee does not want to take their entitled maternity leave, they are legally obliged to take their compulsory maternity leave. This is for two weeks after their baby is born or four weeks if you employ factory workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rights Associated With Taking Maternity Leave or Having a Child<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the right to take maternity leave and receive the associated pay, your staff have other rights due to taking this leave or giving birth to a child. For example, you are not allowed to treat a woman unfairly or <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/returning-work-after-pregnancy\/\">discriminate against them<\/a>. Likewise, you cannot unfairly dismiss them because they are pregnant, have given birth to a child or have taken maternity leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Right to Return to Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>All your employees have the right to return to work after their leave. After ordinary maternity leave, employees have the right to the same job with the same terms and conditions. If you do not provide this, your employee may be able to claim:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>unfair dismissal;<\/li><li>automatic unfair dismissal; or<\/li><li>maternity discrimination.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Your employee may be able to claim maternity discrimination if they have been disadvantaged by being on maternity leave and you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>pass some of their roles to another person;<\/li><li>demote them;<\/li><li>change their role; or<\/li><li>keep the person carrying out their maternity cover in their role.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When your employees return after taking the additional maternity leave, they still have the right to return to the same job with the same terms and conditions unless it is not practicable for you to offer them the same job. If this is the case, you must:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>be able to demonstrate to your employee why this is the case; and<\/li><li>offer them another suitable role with the same terms and conditions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Right to Contractual Terms and Conditions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>While your staff are on ordinary and additional maternity leave, they have the right to all their usual contractual terms and conditions, except for the right to pay. These rights include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>paid holiday leave which will accrue whilst on leave;<\/li><li>any money owed to them such as for work completed before leave;<\/li><li>contractual benefits such as lunch vouchers and holding onto their mobile phone and company car during leave; and<\/li><li>during their ordinary maternity leave, their full pension contributions.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div  class=\"box box--icon box--info\">\n    <p>However, your staff cannot access childcare vouchers while on leave and any commissions or bonuses. Additionally, employees most likely do not receive a car allowance, although the law is not completely clear concerning this issue.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Right to Changes to the Job Role<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When your employee returns to work from leave, they have the right to ask you to make changes to their job role. These changes can relate to their:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>hours;<\/li><li>days; and<\/li><li>location.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Right to a Suitable Alternative Vacancy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Where your employees return to work after maternity leave and there is a risk of <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/make-employee-redundant\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">redundancy<\/a> before returning. You must offer them a suitable alternative vacancy, if available. However, if your employee already returned to work and redundancy applies to their role, they do not have the right to a suitable alternative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<a href=\"#content-next\"\n   class=\"block p-4 mt-10 text-xl font-bold text-center text-white no-underline bg-gray-800 rounded-t-xl\">\n    Continue reading this article below the form\n    <i class=\"text-xl fa-regular fa-arrow-down\"><\/i>\n<\/a>\n<div class=\"px-6 pt-10 pb-12 mb-10 text-center bg-gray-100 rounded-b-xl sm:px-12 test\">\n    <div class=\"mb-8 text-2xl font-bold text-orange\">\n        Need legal advice?\n        <br>\n        <span class=\"text-lg not-prose\">\n                            Call <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"not-prose\">0808 196 8584<\/a> for urgent assistance.\n                <br>\n                Otherwise, complete this form, and we will contact you within one business day.\n                    <\/span>\n    <\/div>\n\n    \n\n<div class=\"not-prose flex justify-center text-left 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For example, they have a right to return to the same job when they return with the same terms and conditions. However, where they are returning after Additional Maternity Leave and it is not reasonably practicable for an employee to return to their old job, there are rules you must follow in navigating this situation. Your employees are also entitled to the same contractual terms and conditions, except for those concerning their pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you need help understanding what rights your staff have regarding maternity leave in England and Wales, our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment-lawyers-lp\/\">experienced employment lawyers<\/a> can assist as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents for a low monthly fee. So call us today on <a href=\"tel:+448081968584\" class=\"AVANSERnumber dynamic-number\">0808 196 8584<\/a> or visit our <a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/membership\">membership page<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1657503252499\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What is the right to maternity leave?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Where your employees are legally classed as employees, they have a legal right to 52 weeks of maternity leave. Importantly, it does not matter how long they have worked for your business.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1657503272856\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\"><strong>What rights do employees have concerning maternity leave?<\/strong><\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Your employees have a number of rights concerning maternity leave. For example, the right to return to work and the right to the same contractual terms and conditions when they return to work.<\/p> <\/div> <\/div>\n<div class=\"not-prose m-feedback-prompt\">\n    <!-- Thumbs up\/down bar -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__main\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__title\">Was this article helpful?<\/div>\n        <div>\n            <!--span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button--text\">Thanks!<\/span-->\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--yes\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:yes\" aria-label=\"Agree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-up fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n            <button type=\"button\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__button m-feedback-prompt__button--no\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:no\" aria-label=\"Disagree\">\n                <i class=\"fa-regular fa-thumbs-down fa-3x\"><\/i>\n            <\/button>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n\n    <!-- Feedback form -->\n    <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form\">\n        <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--thanks \">\n            <div>Thanks!<\/div>\n            <p>\n                We appreciate your feedback \u2013 your submission has been successfully received.            <\/p>\n        <\/div>\n        <form id=\"contact-form\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--form\" action=\"\" method=\"post\">\n            <input type=\"hidden\" id=\"authenticity_token\" name=\"authenticity_token\" value=\"9eb4f72322\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171839\" \/>            <input value=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/maternity-leave\/\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenturl\"\n                   id=\"currenturl\">\n            <input value=\"What Rights Does My Staff Have in Relation to Maternity Leave in England and Wales?\" type=\"hidden\" name=\"currenttitle\"\n                   id=\"currenttitle\">\n            <label>\n                <!-- display on thumbs-up -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--yes\">\n                    Can you tell us <span class=\"font-semibold\">why<\/span> you found it helpful?\n                <\/span>\n\n                <!-- display on thumbs-down -->\n                <span class=\"m-feedback-prompt__feedback m-feedback-prompt__feedback--no text-lg\">\n                    How can we better improve this article?\n                <\/span>\n                <textarea name=\"feedbackmessage\" id=\"feedbackmessage\" required><\/textarea>\n            <\/label>\n\n            <div class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--error\" id=\"form-submit-error\"><\/div>\n            <button id=\"submit-contact-form-button\" type=\"submit\" name=\"commit\" class=\"m-feedback-prompt__form--submit\"\n                    data-analytics-link=\"feedback-prompt:submit\">\n                Submit            <\/button>\n        <\/form>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When employees fall pregnant, they have a right to take maternity leave.&nbsp;As an employer, you must understand the rights your staff have in terms of maternity leave and ensure you grant these rights. If you are unsure and do not give your employee their rights, you could face a claim at an employment tribunal. This<a href=\"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/maternity-leave\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"sr-only\">&#8220;What Rights Does My Staff Have in Relation to Maternity Leave in England and Wales?&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13326,"featured_media":3089,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"171808,4198,4590,4570,1030,3317","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","editor_notices":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[20,21,227,703,872],"class_list":["post-171839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employment","tag-small-business","tag-medium-business","tag-leave-entitlements","tag-additional-maternity-leave","tag-maternity-leave"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- 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Prior to her freelance writing work, Clare worked for UK central government in policy and communication roles. She has also run her own businesses where she founded a magazine and was editor-in-chief. She is currently studying part-time towards a PhD predominantly in international public law. Qualifications: PhD, Human Rights Law (underway), University of Bedfordshire, Post graduate diploma, Law, Middlesex University.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ms-clare-susannah-f-4a243545\/"],"url":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/author\/clarefarmer\/"},{"@type":"Question","@id":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/employment\/maternity-leave\/#faq-question-1657503252499","name":"What is the right to maternity leave?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"Where your employees are legally classed as employees, they have a legal right to 52 weeks of maternity leave. 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For example, the right to return to work and the right to the same contractual terms and conditions when they return to work.","inLanguage":"en-GB"},"inLanguage":"en-GB"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/13326"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=171839"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171839\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":172103,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/171839\/revisions\/172103"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/3089"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=171839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=171839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/legalvision.co.uk\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=171839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}