Sharing Statutory Maternity or Adoption Leave

A woman is not obliged to take all her Statutory Maternity or Adoption Leave, but where she has given birth, she must take the compulsory maternity leave element (two weeks, or four weeks if she works in a factory). If, instead of taking the full 52 weeks, she decides to return to work early, her partner may be eligible to take Additional Paternity Leave (APL). This leave can only start 20 weeks after the birth, adoption or child’s arrival in the UK (for overseas adoptions). Note that the rules on sharing leave will change significantly for babies born or matched for adoption on or after 5 April 2015. For details see the box on pages 243-245.