additional 12 wks of maternity leave....

[BeckyJ]

i know you get 39wks off paid (mine is up feb 24) then i have a weeks hol (takin me to march 3rd)

i was planning to go back 3 days per wk, with childcare bein so costly mum had said that she would have summer a couple of days & didnt mind cutting her work down, my dads now been made redundant so this cant happen so im thinking of taking the additional 12wks, i know i wont get paid but at least my job is kept open for me

my question is has anyone done it? were work ok about it? do they have to let you have it? im so worried about telling them

also after the extra 12 wks if needs be (depending on childcare) could i then take my kit days???

 

[CoreysMummy]

I never got asked, they just assumed I wanted the full year off...!! So your company should be fine, mine were!

 

[Charlie:-)]

Your employers have to assume you are taking the full year iunless advised otherwise. You are still within your rights to change yoru mind and take the extra leave despite advising them you would be returning you just have to give reasonable notice. So long as you let them know sooner they should be okay with this and you should be able to take the leave no questions asked.

 

[tuck]

you would need to take the additional weeks BEFORE any annual leave. What do you mean by then taking your KIT days?, these have to be taken (though you are not obliged to do them) DURING your maternity leave. If you do not take them then they are void

 

[BeckyJ]

thanks tuk i wasnt sure when you could take the kit days, thats cleared that up

also thanks for letting me know about the holiday, our hols run from 1st april

my 12mnths wouldnt be up until 27 may so does that mean they would probably just pay me my wks holiday (we cant carry them over)

also would i still be entitled to full holidays when i go bk as if id been in work all along as im still classed as employed?

 

[NickyB]

i know i wont get paid but at least my job is kept open for me

You need to check this, I thought you were entitled to your job back after the 39 weeks, but if you take the extra 12 unpaid, you're entitled to a job back on a similar contract.

 

[tuck]

regarding holiday entitlement:

What happens to your holiday entitlement when you're on maternity leave?
You'll still build up all your entitlements to paid holiday during ordinary maternity leave. However, unless your contract says differently, you'll accrue only the statutory minimum (4.8 weeks or 24 days for those working full-time) holiday entitlement during additional maternity leave.

If your baby is or was due on or after 5 October 2008 you will build up all your entitlements to paid holiday throughout your ordinary and additional maternity leave.

You can add holiday to the beginning or end of your leave. You may not be able to carry over untaken holiday entitlement if your maternity leave goes over two holiday years, so it's often best to take this at the beginning of your leave.

also if your baby was due or born after 5 Oct 08 you have the same statutory rights during your AML as the OML