[Updated 16/03/2026]

Different types of leave and pay to help with family matters.

Quick references to related statutory employment rights in the UK are given below.  Being statutory, they serve as the minimum entitlement of employees. Rates applicable from 6th April 2026 unless stated otherwise (previous year rates are in brackets) ~

Ante-Natal Appointments/Classes

Mothers

• The right to a reasonable amount of time off with pay to attend appointments or parental classes recommended by a registered midwife or doctor.
• An employer may request proof of an appointment for the second or subsequent appointments.

Fathers, Spouses and Civil Partners

• The above or an individual who is in a long term relationship with the expectant mother are entitled to be given time off (without pay) to attend a maximum of two appointments.
• The time off allowed is up to 6.5 hours per appointment which includes time for traveling, waiting and attendance at the appointment.
• The employer does not have the right to demand proof of the appointment.
• Note in a surrogacy arrangement, the intended parent may be entitled to the above.

Minimum Continuous Service requirement

• No minimum service is required to qualify but you must be in permanent employment- except for agency workers who will need to have been working for 12 weeks to qualify.

Maternity Allowance ~

This allowance is for women who are self-employed or on low earnings as they are not eligibile for statutory maternity pay (see the next heading below).

The allowance is payable for up to 39 weeks at the rate of whichever is the lower of a) 90% of her weekly earnings or b) the statutory Maternity Allowance rate which is £194.32 per week (£184.03) effective from 0804/2024.

More details can be seen at https://www.gov.uk/maternity-allowance/what-youll-get.

Maternity Leave and Pay – Statutory Entitlement ~/

Maternity Leave

Statutory Maternity Leave is up to 52 weeks: 26 weeks Ordinary Maternity Leave plus 26 weeks Additional Maternity Leave.

Mandatory maternity leave must be taken for the 2 weeks immediately following the birth of the baby; those weeks will normally count towards your Ordinary Maternity Leave. Factory workers must take 4 weeks mandatory maternity leave.

Maternity Pay  ~/

Maximum payment of 39 weeks.
–  The first 6 weeks are paid at an average of 90% of weekly earnings.
–  The remaining 33 weeks are paid at either £194.32  (£184.03) per week or, if lower, 90% of average weekly earnings

During both Ordinary and Additional Maternity Leave, the contract continues except for the right to contractual remuneration. That is because the right to Statutory Maternity Pay will often arise. (N.B. certain other entitlements may be affected).

An employer is free to agree to pay normal remuneration during maternity leave rather than the lower statutory rates of pay

Maternity Keeping in Touch (KIT) Days – while on maternityleave~/

Up to 10 days may be used for working or training which will not break a woman’s statutory maternity leave.  The employer has discretion as to whether to provide any payment on such days.

No matter how short the time spent working or training on a day, that will count as one day of the total of 10 days permitted for KIT purposes.

TIP – take up of KIT days is voluntary by the woman but they can be useful in keeping an individual up to date with important changes at work and may make the transition back to work easier. Managers need to bear in mind that an individual may be reluctant to use such days particularly if the birth and/or after care was difficult.