Hey all,

At the moment my edd is between 7th-10th Jan (though this could change as no af for 4 months before bfp).

My plan at the moment is to start my maternity leave at the start of the spring term (obviously I would be going at xmas but if I put my date down as the 5th jan I will still get full pay for the holidays.)

My worry is that I've read that legally you have to go on maternity leave 2 weeks before due date which although technically I would be, officially I wouldn't be.

So my question is what do I do? Will they accept my maternity date, knowing I'll be off for 2 weeks at xmas? Should I put my edd back on forms to allow 2 weeks or will I just have to put my leaving date as end of xmas term and then not get paid for the holiday?

Thanks for any advice

xx

Don't know where you read about having to go on maternity leave 2 weeks before your due date as you don't have to - check out www.direct.gov.uk and serach maternity to know for sure what you do and don't have to do!

I was due my first on 14th Jan and was going to do exactly what you plan and had this all in official writing but I went into premature labour and had him 5th Dec so that put pay to that and my maternity started on 5th dec as I was in work until then!

My contract says O'm not allowed to work past 2 weeks before due date - I'm a teacher in Scotland, could this make a difference? Could you put a date during the holidays rather than at the end or the beginning to get round it?

K 38 +6

I'm not a teacher, but I also wonder where you've read that maternity leave has to start two weeks before your due date? I did wonder if it was specific to teaching (although not sure how leagl that would be) - but if it was then I'm sure MaxiMum+1 would've heard of it. You do have to start your maternity leave the day the baby is born, so if you do as planned and the baby arrives before the 5th, you would lose a bit of holiday. You are however, as far as I know, entitled to do what you are doing and start your maternity leave the last day of the holidays - I know of other teachers who've done it.
You aren't allowed to work for two weeks AFTER giving birth, maybe that's where the confusion has come in - I can't imagine that anyone would want to, tbh, but it does mean you cannot be paid as if you are at work (ie you cannot be on annual leave either).

This website is excellent for teacher's pay and condition etc... http://sites.google.com/site/tesfaqs/maternity

Hello I am a teacher in England!! And in England, you can legally work right up to your due date. My friend is due the day we start back after summer so her maternity technically starts the day that baby is due.

If you google teacher and maternity pay the document that you get sent when confirming your pregnancy will come up somewhere with full details of it all.

Hope this has helped!!

I agree. As a teacher in England you can put your EDD as the start of you maternity leave. If the baby arrives prior to this, maternity pay will start from the day of baby's birth. You cannot put any date after your EDD as the start of maternity pay.

Not sure about Scotland as I know they have different (usually better!) pay and conditions.

Hi all,

thanks for the advice, I think sunflower may be right and I read about 2 weeks after birth and misread it as before birth in my hormone addled brain!

That's a relief as the 2 week holidays will mean I will still get full pay for the first month of my maternity and as I'm the mortgage payer that makes a hell of a difference! Let's hope my edd doesn't change or all my carefully thought out plans will be kaput!

Thanks again

xx