LRD guides and handbook June 2014

Law at Work 2014

Chapter 8

The key elements of statutory maternity leave

[ch 8: page 226]

Statutory maternity leave divides into three parts:

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

Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML): this is the first 26 weeks, and is inclusive of the two compulsory weeks;

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