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Holidays & Maternity Leave

Hello

Does anyone know what happens with holidays and Maternity leave. I am due in May and get 29 days holiday a year.

I am planning on taking 5 in Feb and saving the rest before maternity. Ideally i'd like to go on mat leave around the 4th May (bank holiday week) but use 3 weeks of leave before hand! This means I've got another 2 weeks of leave left to take.

My company doesnt allow leave to be carried over so was wondering if you can delay the start of maternity leave. Ie if I am due on 25th May is it possible to say start maternity on the 8th June (and use hols before hand) or do you have to start it on your due date.

I dont really want to be off work from 20th April as 5 weeks of being in ny own company might bore me!! (I have no family around). Also i want to spend as much time with the baby as i can so dont want to waste 5 weeks on my own!!

I know I could ask HR but dont want to sound stupid so thought i'd ask you for your experiences first.

Replies

  • Hiya
    am kind of in a similar situation myself - I have 2 weeks leave left to take before april, and they dont carry them over either. I have a meeting with the bosses in the next couple of weeks to ask about it and clarify what i can and cant do - but it seems that I can have the two weeks off before i start mat leave, but by law I have to start mat leave the day the baby is born at the latest.
    So i guess my answer to your question is no, you cant leave using your hols till after baby is born... :\(

    if you're due 25th may, then mat leave can start then, but you'd have to take the hols before then....

    I'm due on the 4th april, and have decided that i want to start mat leave about 15th march, but i have two weeks which i'm going to ask them if i can take one at the end of jan and then one the week before my mat leave starts, or change my mat leave to a week later and have the WB 15th march as a hol....

    Not sure if that made any sense....

    HTH
    Stephe
    xxx
  • Hi, didn't want to r & r but you won't be able to delay the start of your maternity leave. I take it your leave year runs april to april? You could ask niecly under the circumstances would they let you carry it over put it in writing some companies may pay you it also - ask hr what they suggest. Good luck xx
  • Hi geordie_lass

    In my job i have 18 days annual leave to take, but have been told i have to take them before i go on maternity leave, i can't carry them over like yourself...don't quote me on that, but i do think that it is standard policy in most companys.

    My baby is due 5th March & im starting my maternity leave on 5th February, so thats 4 weeks before baby is due...i have alot of travelling to do in my job...so i decided that i take those 4 weeks as otherwise it will be too much of a strain on me as i have other health factors to consider. I will be taking my 18 days before maternity leave, so i nice long rest.

    But you can take your maternity leave even up to the last week before your due date, if you want to. I know how you feel wanting to spend your time with little one, rather than being at home alone...but taking that rest before will do wonders...as you wont have much you time when bubs arrives.

    You got nothing to loose by asking...what harm can it do...your company may have a different policy.

    little missie x
    23 + 2
  • on my first pregnancy i was leaving work at 35wks and having 5wks hol then starting my maternity leave on my due date,i left work on tue's and went in to labour wed' night,they started my smp that day and paid me my holiday money,this time iam doing the same but i havent got as many hols as i went back part time so iam finishing at christmas and having my hols and then my maternity leave starts i think about 1 weeks before my due date,i would have thought they would have paid you your holiday money

    sarah
    http://bd.lilypie.com/sg4fp1/.png

  • Thanks all. My holiday year runs from Jan - Dec and I was planning on taking 1 week in Feb and then save the rest up (as normally i only take a few days before May anyway as we have Easter & Bank hols to look forward too).

    From all your comments it looks like I have no choice but to take it in advance (which is what i suspected). I will discuss with HR though and see if there is anything they can do (Ie exceptional circumstances to carry over 2 weeks). But am not going to hold any hope out and expect i will have to take them all.... maybe have a long easter too!!
  • I think you need to go to your HR dept as all businesses have different rules!

    I have 25 days to take and am due end of april - they want me to start mat leave 2 weeks before in case it is early (as the mat leave would have to kick in then). I am allowed to carry over one week holiday to the next year and I can also sell holiday back to them and get paid for it! I am only allowed to sell one week though. If i do that I still have 3 weeks to take so will prob take one week in Jan to go shopping in the sales, and then leave work around end of march, using 2 weeks hols and 2 weeks mat leave before due date!

    Tara 15+2
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