Last reviewed: April 2026
Last updated: April 2026 – with the new statutory rates and day-one rights
Having a baby is one of life’s biggest adventures, but working out your rights at work can feel overwhelming on top of everything else. How much time can you take off? Will you get paid? What about your partner, can they take leave too? And what on earth is Shared Parental Leave?
If you are feeling confused, you are not alone. The UK system is reasonably generous compared with many countries, but the rules have layers, and a few important pieces changed in April 2026. We have updated this guide to reflect the new figures and the new day-one rights that came into force this tax year.
This is written for working mums and their partners in the UK. It walks you through the basics, breaks down what you are entitled to, explains the pay rates, and points you to the templates and support you need to exercise your rights confidently. Because that is exactly what these are. Rights, not favours.
The Basics: What Leave Are You Entitled To?
Let us start with the fundamentals. In the UK, you are entitled to different types of leave depending on whether you are the person giving birth, the partner, or an adoptive parent.
If You Are Giving Birth (Maternity Leave): You can take up to 52 weeks off work. That is a full year. The first 26 weeks are called Ordinary Maternity Leave, and the second 26 weeks are called Additional Maternity Leave.
If You Are The Partner (Paternity Leave): You can take up to two weeks off. Since April 2024, you can take this as one block of two weeks or as two separate weeks, at any point within the first 52 weeks of the birth (not just the first eight weeks, as used to be the case). And from 6 April 2026, paternity leave is now a day-one right, so there is no longer a minimum service requirement to take the leave.
Shared Parental Leave: You and your partner can share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay between you. This gives families real flexibility over who takes time off and when.
Adoption Leave: If you are adopting, you get similar rights to maternity leave, up to 52 weeks off, with the same pay structure.
Neonatal Care Leave (Introduced April 2025): If your baby needed neonatal care for seven continuous days or more within 28 days of birth, you are entitled to up to 12 weeks of Neonatal Care Leave, paid at the statutory rate. This sits on top of your other leave entitlements and is a welcome recognition that some parents need more time, not less, when their baby arrives poorly.
For the most current information, visit gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave.
Maternity Leave: Your Complete Entitlement
Here is what you are entitled to if you are the one having the baby.
How Much Time Can You Take? Up to 52 weeks in total. You must take at least two weeks off after the birth (four weeks if you work in a factory), but apart from that, it is up to you.
When Can You Start Your Leave? You can start maternity leave up to 11 weeks before your due date. Many women start a week or two before, but some work right up until the birth, while others need to start earlier for medical reasons. Listen to your body and your doctor, not to office pressure.
What If Your Baby Comes Early? If your baby arrives before you have started your maternity leave, your leave automatically starts from the day after the birth.
Do You Have To Take The Full 52 Weeks? No. You can return at any time after the compulsory two weeks (or four if you work in a factory). You just need to give your employer eight weeks’ notice of when you want to return.
Maternity Pay: How Much Will You Get?
This is probably the question weighing on you most.
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP): This is the legal minimum your employer has to pay you. For the first six weeks, you get 90% of your average weekly earnings. For the remaining 33 weeks, you get either 90% of your average weekly earnings or £194.32 per week (the rate from 6 April 2026, up from £187.18), whichever is lower.
Enhanced Maternity Pay: Many employers offer more generous packages, sometimes full pay for a set period or higher rates than the statutory minimum. Check your contract and company policies carefully. Do not assume the statutory minimum is all you are entitled to.
Maternity Allowance: If you do not qualify for SMP (for example, if you are self-employed or have not been with your current employer long enough), you may be able to claim Maternity Allowance from the government instead. The 2026/27 rate is £194.32 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, for up to 39 weeks.
To Qualify For SMP In 2026/27: You must have worked for your employer for at least 26 weeks by the end of the qualifying week (the 15th week before your due date) and earn at least £129 per week on average. This figure, the Lower Earnings Limit, has just risen from £125.
Use the government’s maternity pay calculator at gov.uk to work out exactly what you will receive.
Paternity Leave: Rights For Partners
If you are the partner of someone having a baby, you have rights too. From April 2026 these have been meaningfully strengthened.
How Much Time Can You Take? Up to two weeks. You can take this as one block of two weeks, or as two separate one-week blocks (but not individual days).
When Can You Take It? Paternity leave can be taken at any point within the first 52 weeks of the birth. This is a change from the previous rules, which required it within 56 days of the birth. You could, for example, take one week when baby arrives and save the second for when mum returns to work.
Day-One Right (New From 6 April 2026): Paternity leave itself is now available from the first day of employment, without any minimum service requirement. Note that to qualify for Statutory Paternity Pay, however, you still need 26 weeks’ continuous service by the qualifying week.
How Much Will You Be Paid? Statutory Paternity Pay is either 90% of your average weekly earnings or £194.32 per week, whichever is lower. Some employers offer enhanced packages, so check your contract.
Shared Parental Leave: Splitting The Time Between You
Shared Parental Leave (SPL) allows couples to share maternity and paternity leave. It is designed to give families more flexibility over who takes time off and when.
How Does It Work? The birth mother must take at least two weeks of maternity leave after the birth. After that, she can end her maternity leave early and convert the remaining time into Shared Parental Leave, which both parents can use.
How Much Leave Is Available? Up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay can be shared between you. The pay rate for 2026/27 is £194.32 per week or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower.
Can You Both Be Off At The Same Time? Yes. You could take leave together, take turns, or have one partner take most of the leave. That is the flexibility SPL offers, and for many families it is a much better fit than the traditional model.
Full guidance is available at gov.uk/shared-parental-leave-and-pay.
New For 2026: Bereaved Partners’ Paternity Leave
Where one parent sadly dies during or shortly after the birth (or adoption placement), the surviving partner is now entitled to up to 52 weeks of unpaid Bereaved Partners’ Paternity Leave under regulations that came into force on 6 April 2026. It is a provision we hope none of our readers will ever need, but if the worst happens, it is important to know that the law has caught up with the reality of the care a grieving parent needs to give their child.
Your Protections: Redundancy, Pregnancy, And Return To Work
Since 6 April 2024, the UK has significantly extended redundancy protection for pregnant employees and new parents. The key points:
- Pregnancy: Enhanced protection starts the day you tell your employer you are pregnant. If your role is at risk of redundancy, you must be offered any suitable alternative vacancy as a priority.
- Maternity Leave: The protected period runs from when you inform your employer until 18 months after your child’s birth. So the protection continues for roughly six months after your return to work if you took the full 52 weeks.
- Adoption And Shared Parental Leave: Broadly the same 18-month protection applies, subject to the specific rules for each type of leave.
- Neonatal Care Leave: Where six or more continuous weeks have been taken, the redundancy protected period runs for 18 months from the child’s birth.
If your employer does not follow these rules, the dismissal may be automatically unfair and could also amount to pregnancy or maternity discrimination. If you think this has happened to you, take advice quickly. The time limits for tribunal claims are short, usually just three months less one day.
Planning Your Leave: Key Decisions To Make
This is a sacred season for your family, and it is worth thinking through these questions calmly rather than under pressure. Most of them do not have right or wrong answers. They are about what works for your family, your finances, and the kind of return you want to make.
- How Much Leave Do You Want To Take? Your financial situation, career, and personal preferences all come into this. Some mums take the full 52 weeks. Others return after a few months. There is no prize for either.
- When Do You Want To Start Your Maternity Leave? You can start up to 11 weeks before your due date. Think about how you are feeling, your commute, the nature of your work, and whether you want a bit of time to prepare before baby arrives.
- Will Your Partner Take Paternity Leave? And if so, when? Some partners take leave immediately after the birth, others save it for when mum returns to work. The new 52-week window makes this decision much easier.
- Could Shared Parental Leave Work For Your Family? It requires careful financial planning but can open up real flexibility. It is particularly worth considering if your partner is on a similar or higher income and wants meaningful time at home.
- What Childcare Or Support Will You Need When You Return? Plan early. Demand for nursery places, childminders, and after-school support is high in most areas, and many working mums tell us they wish they had started looking sooner. If your child is coming up to Year 5 or 6 and you are starting to think about 11+ preparation, our sister sites at Geek School Tutoring and 11+Essay are a good place to start when the time comes.
Professional Templates And Support
Having the right documentation makes the whole process much smoother. Well-written letters and forms show you understand your rights and help ensure you get everything you are entitled to.
Our legal document generator at motherswhowork.co.uk/mumslegalfriend includes templates for every stage of your parental leave journey:
- Pregnancy And Health At Work Pack: Pregnancy notification letters, maternity leave notification forms, and risk assessment requests. These templates ensure you give proper notice and trigger all your legal protections.
- Parental Leave And Childcare Rights Pack: All types of parental leave requests, including maternity, paternity, and Shared Parental Leave applications, drafted to meet the notice requirements so you do not miss a deadline.
- Return To Work And Flexible Working Pack: Return to work planning documents, flexible working request letters, and templates for negotiating your return arrangements.
Each template comes with guidance notes explaining when and how to use it.
Your Next Steps
- Check Your Employment Contract And Company Policies to understand what you are entitled to beyond the statutory minimums.
- Start Financial Planning Early. Work out your income during leave and budget accordingly, including the reduced SMP rate from week 7.
- Give Proper Notice to your employer about your pregnancy and leave plans.
- Consider All Your Options. Do not default to traditional maternity leave if Shared Parental Leave might suit your family better.
- Think About Your Return early, particularly if you want flexible working arrangements.
- Use Professional Templates to ensure all your communications with your employer are clear and legally compliant.
One Honest Word Before You Go
These rights exist because generations of mothers and campaigners fought hard for them. They are not favours from your employer. They are the foundation on which you can plan a life that holds both work and family together.
For nineteen years, Mothers Who Work has been walking alongside women through pregnancy, leave, and return to work, with close to 4,000 articles written with working mums in mind. If you have not already, join our newsletter at the foot of this page for practical updates and honest advice, or become part of the MWW Club for deeper community with women navigating what you are navigating.
Your family time is precious. Make sure you get everything you are entitled to. And know that we are here when you need us.
This guide provides general information about maternity and paternity leave in the UK and should not be considered specific legal advice. For advice about your particular situation, consult a qualified employment solicitor. For professional legal document templates and comprehensive guidance on parental leave and workplace rights, visit motherswhowork.co.uk/mumslegalfriend.
