Maternity entitlements and forms

How much maternity leave and pay am I entitled to?

Use the maternity entitlements calculator to find out what pay you are entitled to receive whilst on maternity leave. The calculator will also provide the dates by which you will need to have returned any forms required to facilitate your leave.

The MATFORM

Your HR Business Partner will arrange to meet with you in order to discuss your maternity leave arrangements and answer any queries you may have about the process. They will provide the application for maternity leave (MATFORM), you will then need to complete and return it to Human Resources.

In order to complete the MATFORM, you and your Head of Discipline/line manager will need to talk about:

• when you are going to start your maternity leave. This can be any time from 11 weeks before your baby is due (ie approx 29 weeks' pregnant), but may start automatically if you are off sick with a pregnancy related illness in the four weeks before your baby is due. If you are off work with a pregnancy-related illness prior to this, you will be paid in the same way as for any other type of illness. Maternity Leave will also commence the day after your baby is born if this is an earlier date than the one you specified.
• when you will take any annual leave. You are recommended to take the amount of annual leave you have accrued up to the date you commence your maternity leave before your maternity leave begins. You will then continue to accrue annual leave during the period of maternity leave, we recommend that this, or a proportion of this be taken when your maternity leave finishes before you physically return to work.

MATB1 form

You will need to provide your HR Business Partner with a MATB1, which your GP/midwife will give to you after the 21st week of your pregnancy. Within 28 days of receiving the MATFORM and MATB1, your HR Business Partner will write to you to confirm the details of your maternity leave, including the date when your maternity leave will start and end.

What if I change my mind about the start date of my maternity leave?

If you change your mind about the start date of your maternity leave, you must give 28 days' notice, in writing, to your HR Business Partner.

Paternity/Maternity Support leave

If you have a partner, they may be able to take up to two weeks' paid ordinary paternity leave once the baby is born or between 2-26 weeks additional paternity leave (subject to certain criteria). They should find out about this as soon as possible as they will need to give their employer notice and will need to tell them by the 15th week before the baby is due (ie when you are approx 25 weeks' pregnant).

If your partner works for the University, they should refer to the University guidance on ordinary paternity/maternity support leave or additional paternity/maternity support leave.