Taking maternity leave
Let your manager know about your pregnancy as soon as you're comfortable, even if you're not sure of the exact dates. As this will help with planning and putting support in place while they are at work.
Tell your manager you’re pregnant
The earlier you tell your manager the better, but the latest date that you can request maternity leave is 28 days before you intend to start your maternity leave. Where this isn’t possible, such as where you didn’t know that you were pregnant, you must tell them as soon as possible.
Telling them early will help them to make sure your working conditions are safe and allow them to plan cover while you’re on leave. It also gives you time to check how much maternity leave you’re entitled to before confirming your start date.
Managers should check if employees need any workplace adjustments using the pregnant workers risk assessment form (DOC, 182KB).
Tell Payroll you’re pregnant
You need to tell Payroll you’re pregnant so they can make sure your pay is correct when you go on leave.
Complete a Maternity leave notification form
After your 20-week scan, you should receive a maternity certificate (MAT B1) from your midwife or GP.
Once you have been given a maternity certificate (MAT B1) from your doctor or midwife confirming the due date, you should complete a maternity leave notification form (DOC, 108.88 KB).
You must and complete and send the form no later than 28 days before you intend to start your maternity leave.
You’ll need to include:
- the date your baby is due
- a copy of your maternity certificate (MAT B1)
Upload the completed maternity leave notification form to the Assyst portal.
Payroll will send you a letter with the maternity pay you’re entitled to and the latest date you can return to work.
Tell your manager your maternity leave start date
Tell your manager the date that you intend to start your maternity leave as soon as you can.
Managers complete a maternity leave start date form
Your manager must complete Part A of the ML1 form (DOCX, 69KB) and upload it to the Assyst portal at least 28 days before you go on leave, so you get paid the right amount.
If you need to change your maternity leave start date, ask your manager to complete and upload a new Maternity leave start date form to the Assyst portal.
Preparing to go on maternity leave
Handover and staying in touch
Meet with your manager to plan the handover of your work while you are on maternity leave.
Agree how you’re going to stay in touch with your manager while you’re away. For example, you might want to use your work or personal email, phone or text.
Your manager must contact you about anything that might affect your role or team while you are on maternity leave, such as reorganisation or redundancies.
You may find our guidance on taking long-term leave useful when planning your leave.
Make a record of your outstanding holiday balance
While you are on maternity leave you will continue to accrue both annual leave and bank holiday entitlement. My Oracle will only automatically transfer up to 1 week’s outstanding leave (pro rata for part time employees) from one holiday year to the next.
If your maternity leave extends into the next holiday year, refer to Carrying over annual leave to make sure that your unused and accrued annual leave is carried over for when you return to work. Read our Holiday Policy on the annual leave allowance page for more details.
Access to IT
You may keep your IT equipment while on maternity leave to stay in touch and carry out work or go to online meetings during keeping in touch (KIT) days.
Turn on your out of office reply and include an alternative contact on your email account before your leave starts. Save any work files and folders to your team’s shared drive.
To keep your IT account active during your maternity leave, raise an Extended Leave Notification request on the Assyst portal by selecting 'IT services', 'people services' and then 'log an extended leave notification'.
Log in to your laptop every couple of months to avoid being locked out. If you get locked out of your laptop, you will need to return to IT and request a new laptop.
Benefits and loans during maternity leave
You have access to all your usual employee benefits when you’re on maternity leave. All terms and conditions of employment stay the same during maternity leave, except for terms relating to pay.
Bicycle loan or public transport season ticket loan
You can choose to vary or suspend the repayments that are taken directly from your maternity pay.
You'll need to make alternative arrangements to pay back the amount you owe by the agreed repayment deadline.
To make changes to your loan repayments, contact People Support using the Assyst portal.
Lease cars during leave
You can keep your lease car during your leave as long as you continue to make the lease car payments. These payments will be deducted from any pay you receive during your maternity leave.
The Car Provision Scheme (CPS) Administration team will contact you once your paid leave ends and provide invoices for you to pay them directly.
To avoid falling into arrears with your payments, it is advisable to contact the Car Provision Scheme (CPS) Administration team before starting leave to make arrangements.