Maternity leave
Leave and pay entitlements
If you are pregnant, you are eligible to take up to 52 weeks' maternity leave.
To be able to take maternity leave and receive maternity pay you will need to meet the relevant qualifying criteria. You can check your eligibility and if you meet the qualification criteria by referring to the maternity leave scheme section in the 'Family support leave policy'.
| Leave | Occupational pay | Statutory pay | Unpaid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 52 weeks (39 paid, 13 unpaid) (you must take compulsory maternity leave of at least two weeks immediately following the birth of your child) |
26 weeks (the University 'tops up' SMP/MA payment so that it is equivalent to employee's normal full pay). |
||
| 39 weeks Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) or 90% pay (whichever is less) or Maternity Allowance (MA) or equivalent. (Note: 39 weeks includes the 18 weeks 'top up' period) |
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| 13 weeks unpaid | |||
You are required by law to take at least 2 weeks of 'Compulsory maternity leave' immediately following the birth of your child.
If you do not wish to take all of the maternity leave/pay that you are entitled to, your partner may be able to take what is left over. For more information on this please refer to the Shared parental leave scheme section of the 'Family support leave policy'.
Antenatal appointments
You can go to antenatal appointments during work hours, but try to arrange these so they have the least impact on your work.