{"id":2113,"date":"2025-05-01T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-01T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/?p=2113"},"modified":"2025-05-15T14:14:05","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T14:14:05","slug":"a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"A First Time Guide to Maternity\/Paternity Leave in the UK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re soon to become a parent, then it\u2019s important to plan out how you\u2019re going to handle the work\/life balance<\/a> throughout your child\u2019s first year. Maternity\/Paternity pay in the UK is a fairly flexible system, allowing parents to design their leave around their needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today we\u2019ll be breaking down the basics of maternity\/paternity leave, what your options are, and how you and your partner can create a plan that\u2019s right for the both of you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maternity Pay in the UK<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the UK a pregnant person is entitled to up to one year of statutory maternity leave. Of those 52 weeks, you\u2019re entitled to 39 weeks of statutory maternity pay. For the first 6 weeks of that leave you\u2019ll be paid 90% of your average earnings. From then onwards you\u2019ll receive \u00a3187.18 per week or 90% of your average earnings, whichever is lower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paternity Pay in the UK & Shared Leave<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The partner of a pregnant person is entitled to 1 or 2 weeks of paid paternity leave with the option for shared parental leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shared parental leave allows parents to split their time off so that both can spend more time and home, together with the newborn baby. This can be done all in one go or can be spread out into multiple shorter periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The important thing to note about this system is that shared leave allows you to be very flexible depending on your co-parenting style and health requirements. As new parents, it\u2019s important to have on-going conversations about the best ways to support one another and how you choose to divide your shared leave will be a crucial part of that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What to do if You\u2019re Made Redundant<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re made redundant while on maternity leave, then the first thing you should do is check your contract. Many employment contracts include provisions for maternity and it\u2019s possible that your contract may grant your rights beyond the legal minimum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should also make sure you\u2019re given a valid reason for redundancy in writing. Valid reasons for redundancy include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Your employer moving out of your range<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Your job role no longer being required (or a reduction in the job role)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • The business closing down<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    If the reason given does not fall within one of these categories, then you may be able to pursue legal action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    It is illegal in the UK to fire someone because of their pregnancy.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After being made redundant, you are still entitled to your statutory pay for the remainder of your leave. Other maternity rights include the right to be offered a suitable alternative role if one can be found as well as redundancy pay\/notice pay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Maternity Benefits<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    While you\u2019re pregnant, you may also be entitled to a series of financial benefits, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Free NHS dental treatment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Free NHS prescriptions<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Universal credit (if you have a low income)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Maternity allowance (if you do not qualify for statutory maternity pay)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Adoption pay<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      (Please note that some of the above may require you to provide proof of pregnancy\/proof of birth or may be tied into other financial benefit schemes).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What to do if You\u2019re Self Employed<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Self employed people in the UK can still qualify for government maternity pay if they\u2019ve been earning more than \u00a330 per week for a period of at least 13 weeks (consecutive or nonconsecutive). How much money you get depends on your Class 2 national insurance contributions over the 66 weeks before the baby is due.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Depending on how many of those contributions you\u2019ve paid, you could be eligible for anywhere between \u00a327 and \u00a3187.18 per week. If you do unpaid work for your spouse or civil partners business, then you are entitled \u00a327 a week for up to 14 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The Importance of Planning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Before we wrap up, we can\u2019t stress enough the importance of planning. The weeks following childbirth can be a stressful and complicated time. The last thing you need during that period is an extra distraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Doing your research ahead of time, knowing your legal rights inside and out, and outlining a clear plan with your partner can go a long way to reducing that stress. We also recommend keeping your employer in the loop as much as possible so that everyone is on the same page about what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      If you\u2019re soon to become a parent, then it\u2019s important to plan out how you\u2019re going to handle the work\/life balance throughout your child\u2019s first year. Maternity\/Paternity pay in the UK is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1422,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mentoring-advice-opinion","category-work-life-balance"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nUK Maternity & Paternity Leave Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Essential guide for first-time UK parents on maternity and paternity leave, including rights, pay, and how to plan time off effectively.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UK Maternity & Paternity Leave Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Essential guide for first-time UK parents on maternity and paternity leave, including rights, pay, and how to plan time off effectively.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Career Navig8r\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/careernavig8r\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-05-01T12:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-05-15T14:14:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Escaping-The-Office.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1182\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"416\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Josh Foley\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@careernavig8r\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@careernavig8r\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Josh Foley\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Estimated reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Josh Foley\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4e4e696cb841810a55816f1f3fd63a3c\"},\"headline\":\"A First Time Guide to Maternity\/Paternity Leave in the UK\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-01T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-15T14:14:05+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/\"},\"wordCount\":734,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"articleSection\":[\"Advice\",\"Work-Life Balance\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/\",\"name\":\"UK Maternity & Paternity Leave Guide\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2025-05-01T12:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-05-15T14:14:05+00:00\",\"description\":\"Essential guide for first-time UK parents on maternity and paternity leave, including rights, pay, and how to plan time off effectively.\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Career Navig8r\",\"description\":\"Resources for Mentors and Mentees\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Career Navig8r\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Logo.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Logo.svg\",\"width\":110,\"height\":50,\"caption\":\"Career Navig8r\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/careernavig8r\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/careernavig8r\",\"https:\/\/linkedin.com\/company\/career-navig8r\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/careernavig8r\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4e4e696cb841810a55816f1f3fd63a3c\",\"name\":\"Josh Foley\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e20f8ed6db79e7e7f217a11151d220944d88b5d255d76d3537392e094b8c251?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e20f8ed6db79e7e7f217a11151d220944d88b5d255d76d3537392e094b8c251?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Josh Foley\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"UK Maternity & Paternity Leave Guide","description":"Essential guide for first-time UK parents on maternity and paternity leave, including rights, pay, and how to plan time off effectively.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/","og_locale":"en_GB","og_type":"article","og_title":"UK Maternity & Paternity Leave Guide","og_description":"Essential guide for first-time UK parents on maternity and paternity leave, including rights, pay, and how to plan time off effectively.","og_url":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/","og_site_name":"Career Navig8r","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/careernavig8r","article_published_time":"2025-05-01T12:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-05-15T14:14:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1182,"height":416,"url":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Escaping-The-Office.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Josh Foley","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@careernavig8r","twitter_site":"@careernavig8r","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Josh Foley","Estimated reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/"},"author":{"name":"Josh Foley","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4e4e696cb841810a55816f1f3fd63a3c"},"headline":"A First Time Guide to Maternity\/Paternity Leave in the UK","datePublished":"2025-05-01T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-15T14:14:05+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/"},"wordCount":734,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#organization"},"articleSection":["Advice","Work-Life Balance"],"inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/","url":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/","name":"UK Maternity & Paternity Leave Guide","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2025-05-01T12:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2025-05-15T14:14:05+00:00","description":"Essential guide for first-time UK parents on maternity and paternity leave, including rights, pay, and how to plan time off effectively.","inLanguage":"en-GB","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/a-first-time-guide-to-maternity-paternity-leave-in-the-uk\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/","name":"Career Navig8r","description":"Resources for Mentors and Mentees","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-GB"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Career Navig8r","url":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Logo.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/Logo.svg","width":110,"height":50,"caption":"Career Navig8r"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/careernavig8r","https:\/\/twitter.com\/careernavig8r","https:\/\/linkedin.com\/company\/career-navig8r","https:\/\/instagram.com\/careernavig8r"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4e4e696cb841810a55816f1f3fd63a3c","name":"Josh Foley","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-GB","@id":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e20f8ed6db79e7e7f217a11151d220944d88b5d255d76d3537392e094b8c251?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8e20f8ed6db79e7e7f217a11151d220944d88b5d255d76d3537392e094b8c251?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Josh Foley"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2113"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2114,"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2113\/revisions\/2114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}