Maternity and Adoption leave

Overview

Statutory maternity or adoption leave both last for up to 52 weeks. Only employees are entitled to this leave. Agency workers and the self-employed do not qualify. Although the rules on the leave itself are broadly similar (while not identical) in the case of maternity and adoption, the rules on payment are not. This is explained further below.

Since 2011, maternity or adoption leave can be shared between the parenting couple if the mother decides not to take up her whole 52-week leave allocation. The rules about this period of leave, known as Additional Paternity Leave, are set out below.