question re: maternity leave UPDATED WITH ANOTHER QUESTION

[valleygirl24]

When do you have yours booked for?

I had been told by a colleague that I had to take mine 6 weeks before I was due (or earlier) due to rules at HQ, however now Ive spoken to them Ive been told I can work as close as I want to. Im now completely confused as to when I want to take it, I dont know what Im going to feel like in another 6 or so weeks.

One thing that was brought up in conversation with HR dept was accrued holidays as my mat leave will take me into next financial year, turns out while wages have told me that I dont have holiday entitlement (I didnt have a contract of any kind for 4 years up until august this year) Ive actually got the 5.6 weeks entitlement which I think she worked out is 120.5 hours, of which Ive had 5.5 so I now need to take the rest of them before starting maternity. I have no idea when I want to start hols and when I want to start maternity, I think Im tempted to say Ill start maternity on due date and use hols for the month before but the thought of finishing 6 weeks in advance sounded good as it means Ill work xmas but finish in new year.

So when did you finish/will you be finishing?

 

[emmie]

I oficially finished friday but i was signed off two weeks before that, so have had 2 weeks extra but it was going to be a month before due date i finished.

 

[Petra]

I am working up to 36 weeks.. so 2 more to go. If we were not under pressure of financial year I would have already asked to finish earlier but don't want to trouble my team so I am struggling on.. It's unbelievable how quickly things can change.. I was ok a few weeks ago..

 

[Naterjack]

When do you have yours booked for?
I think Im tempted to say Ill start maternity on due date and use hols for the month before but the thought of finishing 6 weeks in advance sounded good as it means Ill work xmas but finish in new year.
So when did you finish/will you be finishing?

Ive done exactly that !
My official due date is my mat leave start date BUT i am taking my lump of holiday allowance before it, i finish this week (35 weeks)

What does your work entail ? Mine entails a lot of traveling round the country and meeting people, often 3 hours drive, a day work then 3 hours drive back, so i've been getting really tired. If i didn't have traveling i think i could probably work later, but when i decided my date, the countdown began and i am now very glad / looking forward to a break before bubs is here

 

[maybebaby]

I officially finished Friday but was only doing 14 hours a week. I couldn't really have carried on, although it's only office work and not far away it was just too much with ds to run around after as well

So it's my first official day of maternity leave today!

 

[rach]

on my last 2 i worked up till 34 weeks then took hols then mat leave i found it really difficult as i work in a shop so on my feet all day this time was different as im carrying twins the consultant would not allow me to work past 28 weeks and to be honest i dont think i could have if id wanted to i worked till 25 weeks then took 4 weeks hols and started mat leave at 29 weeks i guess it all depends on your job and how you think you will cope in the next few weeks xxxxxxx

 

[nori]

Hiya,

I was originally going to work 2 weeks upto my due date but my obstetrician said she would recommend 3 weeks. I got closer to the date and was really struggling so actually stopped 4 weeks before. If you have the holiday use it.. thats my advice!

Claire x

 

[Charmed]

I made the decision that becuase this was my first pregnancy that I would err on the side of caution and stop working at 34 weeks. This took into account two weeks annual leave so today is my official first day of maternity leave at 36 weeks although I've had two weeks off already.

In hindsight I am glad that I made the decision to stop when I did as I was starting to struggle and have the added problem of a bad ankle which was getting worse as time went on. It really depends on the type of job you do and how your feeling.

Does your company not have a written down maternity policy that you can read through? When do you have to let your company know?

 

[valleygirl24]

What does your work entail?

I work in a shop so on my feet for a minimum of 5.5 hours, although some weeks I manage to get additional shifts which are 8 hours a day. As the job includes lifting I am working on the till and not allowed to do anything else, when Im not serving customers I tend to sit down on the cigarette unit, (Someone suggested I ask for a chair to sit on at the till but as we sell cigarettes and spirits which are behind the till I would be constantly getting off it to get something, so dont see much point in having a chair)

Does your company not have a written down maternity policy that you can read through? When do you have to let your company know?

My companies maternity policy is useless to be honest, theres nothing actually in the shop so I presume the policy is what they sent me with my maternity paperwork that states

"the earliest date you can start your maternity leave is after the start of the 11th week before the week in which your child is due.
You are entitled to a 52 week period of maternity leave, regardless of your length of service.
Should you become ill because of your pregnancy at anytime after the start of the 4th week before your child is due, this will automatically trigger your maternity leave. your maternity leave will therefore start on your first day of absence."

As for informing them, I had told my manager by 4 weeks and my area manager by 5 weeks but neither of these informed HR dept; who I rang when 25 weeks. They have said because of the mix up in holiday entitlement etc to send the paperwork back as soon as they have sorted it out with the area manager and my manager.



Ive just worked out that my holiday entitlement works out as 5 weeks and 7.5 hours so I think I may go with due date as maternity start date and use holidays beforehand which means my last day in work will be friday 9th jan (5 weeks before due date) and I think I may ask for the 7.5 hours sometime before then.

Another question - Im due on the 14th Feb which is a saturday, the rotas in work run sunday - saturday.
as it says on the policy "the earliest date you can start your maternity leave is after the start of the 11th week before the week in which your child is due." does this mean I count 5 weeks back from the 14th or has it got to be 5 weeks back from the sunday beforehand?

 

[carlyr874]

Another question - Im due on the 14th Feb which is a saturday, the rotas in work run sunday - saturday.
as it says on the policy "the earliest date you can start your maternity leave is after the start of the 11th week before the week in which your child is due." does this mean I count 5 weeks back from the 14th or has it got to be 5 weeks back from the sunday beforehand?

It would be 5 weeks back from the 14th

- I am due around the same time - on 12th Feb, my due date was originally the 14th but changed at my last scan! I am finishing well early at 32 weeks! I am just beginning to find it so hard now, it's office work and different shifts each week, some of them start really early and it's just difficult! Besides that for the first time ever it's working out really hard to get Xmas off on leave so am starting my maternity leave on 19th December so that won't affect me lol! And have had bouts of bleeding all the way through the pregnancy and I really just want to take it easy and chill out a bit before LO arrives - I am counting down the days till I finish now I can't wait!

 

[firstangel]

I was origionally going to work up to 4 weeks before ( think that wouls have been 26th January ) , but I am struggling with Hip pain and decided to move it to 5th of january, but Im taking the rest of my holidays off from xmas eve to 5th of January !

So only 4 weeks to go till I stop work ! Will soon fly in !

Im taking 39 weeks off for mat leave and 6 weeks holiday in total, so will be off for 45 weeks ! seems like ages !

 

[emx279]

im leaving a week before christmas at 34 weeks, but then that includes two weeks holiday that i have left for this year, so actualully officailly stating maternity leave on 12 jan.

 

[nikkix]

Im leaving at 33 weeks my last day is the 2nd January. I was going to leave at 36 weeks but im so tired!! Taking 26 weeks plus 2 weeks holiday so 28 weeks in total I cant wait to finish! 5 weeks on friday!