What is the entitlement to maternity leave?
All permanent employees are entitled to maternity leave of 18 weeks. This is known as Ordinary Maternity Leave. The employee has the right to return to their old job at the end of the leave on exactly the same terms and conditions as before. The employee must however give the employer at least 21 days notice of intention to claim Ordinary maternity leave. If the employee has been in continuous employment for 1 year or more at the beginning of the 11th week before the expected week of birth, then the employee will be entitled to an Additional Period of maternity leave. This starts at the end of the Ordinary Maternity Leave period and lasts for 29 weeks after the beginning of the week in which the birth occurred. Whether the employee is simply claiming Ordinary or Additional maternity leave, the contractual benefits (and obligations) continue, including the right to return to work, although this excludes remuneration. Employees are likely, however, to be entitled to statutory maternity p
