Staff Handbook UK

practitioner, a registered midwife or a registered health visitor) and an appointment card or some other document showing that an appointment has been made. Maternity Leave You are entitled to up to 52 weeks’ maternity leave. In order to take maternity leave you must notify your line manager of:

• The fact that you are pregnant. • The expected week of childbirth • The date when you intend to start taking leave.

This notification should be given in writing and by no later than the fifteenth week before the expected week of childbirth. You should also provide your line manager with a copy of the MATB1 form that you will have been given by your healthcare provider. Your maternity leave can start no earlier than the beginning of the 11th week before the expected week of childbirth. The expected date of birth is given on the MATB1 form. If you wish to change the date for starting your maternity leave after this initial notification, you may do so. You should notify your line manager of the new start date by either 28 days before the date you originally intended to start your leave or 28 days before the new date, whichever is earlier. The Company will write to you to advise you of your scheduled date of return to work, which will be 52 weeks after the start of your maternity leave. If you wish to return to work sooner, you may do so by giving 8 weeks’ written notice of your new return date. N.B. You are not permitted to return to work during the two weeks after your baby is born. If you do not wish to return to work after your maternity leave, you should give notice of resignation of at least the minimum notice period set out under the Your entitlement to holiday continues as normal during maternity leave. It is important, therefore, that you plan when you will take your holiday before you start your maternity leave. It is normally in your best interests to take your holiday entitlement for the current holiday year before you start maternity leave, and you should make your request for holiday through your line manager in the normal way. In most cases it can normally be arranged so that your holiday immediately precedes your maternity leave so that you do not need to return to work in between. section “Notice Periods”, below. Holiday and maternity leave

15