Maternity law

An employer's responsibilities

Every year, around 700,000 babies are born, the majority of whom are to working parents.

Maternity law provides protection for employed women who are pregnant or on maternity leave. Rules also apply to employers to help them plan ahead and manage maternity leave and pay.

Click on the links below to find out about your rights and obligations as an employer.

Maternity leave

All pregnant employees, regardless of their hours of work or length of service, are entitled to 52 weeks' maternity leave; 26 weeks of Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML) and 26 weeks of Additional Maternity Leave (AML) – making one year in total. Provided the employee meets the notification requirements, she can take this leave regardless of how long she has been with the employer, how many hours she works or how much she is paid.