LRD guides and handbook May 2015

Law at Work 2015

Chapter 8

The key elements of statutory maternity leave

[ch 8: page 229]

Statutory maternity leave has three parts:

Compulsory maternity leave: this is the first two weeks (or four weeks in the case of factory workers) from birth. A woman who gives birth must take this leave;

Ordinary maternity leave (OML): this is the first 26 weeks, and includes the two compulsory weeks;

Additional maternity leave (AML): this is a further period of 26 weeks and follows immediately after the OML.