Pregnant employees are entitled to take 52 weeks’ maternity leave. Parents with babies due on or after 5 April 2015 are entitled to take shared parental leave. Shared parental leave enables mothers to commit to ending their maternity leave and pay at a future date, and to share the untaken balance of leave and pay as shared parental leave and pay with their partner.
The 2025/26 rates for statutory maternity, paternity, adoption, shared parental and sick pay have now been published by the government.