If you are working woman when you become pregnant, you have some special employment rights, such as maternity leave, financial benefits etc. Download and read this PDF file to know about your maternity rights when you are pregnant.

1. Maternity and Pregnancy Rights
A short guide to what you’re entitled to
when you become pregnant
www.emmasdiary.co.uk
Information is correct at the time of writing,
though may be affected by changes to UK legislation.

2. Statutory Maternity Leave
(SML)
and… if you are an employee and you give your
employer the correct notice, you can take SML
no matter how long you have been with your
employer, how many hours you work or how
much you are paid.
DID YOU KNOW? You are entitled to 52 weeks Statutory
Maternity Leave (26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave and
26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave)…
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

3. Company Maternity Leave
Find Out! Check your employment contract or
staff handbook for details or ask your employer.
DID YOU KNOW? Your employer may have their own
maternity leave scheme which could be more generous
than statutory maternity leave.
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

4. Compulsory Maternity Leave
However… you must take two weeks (or four
weeks if you work in a factory) of ‘compulsory’
maternity leave after your baby is born.
DID YOU KNOW? You do not have to take all of your
Statutory Maternity Leave.
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

5. Ordinary Paternity Leave
DID YOU KNOW? Depending on their
contract of employment, your partner
MAY qualify for up to two consecutive
weeks off as Ordinary Paternity Leave (OPL).
www.emmasdiary.co.uk
Remember: The start date must be the actual date of
the birth or an agreed number of days after the birth
or due date. It must be completed within 56 days of
the birth (or due date if the baby is early).

6. Additional Paternity Leave
DID YOU KNOW? Your partner MAY also
be entitled to up to 26 weeks’ Additional
Paternity Leave on top of the OPL which
can be taken 20 weeks after the child is
born and must finish before the child’s
first birthday.
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

7. Statutory Maternity Pay
(SMP)
DID YOU KNOW? If you have been
employed by your present employer
without a break for at least 26 weeks
into the 15th week before the week
your baby is due (the qualifying week)
you are entitled to Statutory Maternity
Pay.
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

8. Company Maternity Pay
DID YOU KNOW? Some employers have
their own maternity pay scheme.
Check the terms and conditions of any
such scheme as there may be a clause
that requires you to pay back some of the
money you’ve been paid if you decide not
to go back to work after you’ve had the
baby.
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

9. Maternity Allowance (MA)
DID YOU KNOW? If you are not eligible for
SMP, but you have been employed or are
self-employed for at least 26 weeks in the
66-week period ending with the week
before your expected week of childbirth, or
you have earned on average £30 a week
over a 13-week period, you can claim MA.
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

10. Sure Start Maternity Grant
(SSMG)
DID YOU KNOW? If you are not able to
claim either SMP or MA you may be eligible
for a Sure Start Maternity Grant (SSMG).
You cannot get this grant if you already
have children under 16. The SSMG is a
one-off payment of £500 for families
on low incomes that doesn’t need to be
paid back.
www.emmasdiary.co.uk

11. For more information…
Emma’s Diary is one of the UK’s leading baby and Mum’s clubs,
providing a wealth of information, advice and offers for mums
and mum’s to be.
For more detailed information about maternity and paternity benefits,
including how much each benefit is worth and how to get it, visit:
www.emmasdiary.co.uk/pregnancy/preparing-for-baby/lifestyles/maternity-rights-benefits.aspx
www.emmasdiary.co.uk