How much maternity leave?
You have the right to take up to 52 weeks’ maternity leave when you are pregnant and have a child. The only employees who don’t have this right are: female police officers and women serving in the armed forced, self-employed women, those usually employed abroad and share fisherwomen. You also aren’t entitled to maternity pay if you’ve worked at your employer less than nine months prior to the date the baby is due. In all these cases, you may be still eligible for Maternity Allowance. Legally, you must take at least two weeks immediately after the baby is born (four weeks if you work in a factory).
