Telling your employer
Pregnancy and maternity
You don't need to tell your employer about your pregnancy or maternity leave until 15 weeks before your baby is due. The 15th week is known as the ‘qualifying week’.
However, it is important to check your employer’s maternity policy for exact notification requirements.
Paternity
You’ll need to give your employer notice that you want to take paternity leave. You should do this by 15 weeks before the baby’s due date (the 'qualifying week'). See our information on adoption below if you’re adopting your child.
When you give notice, you’ll need to tell your employer:
- that you’re entitled to paternity leave and that you’re taking leave to support the mother or care for the child
- when the baby is due or the date of the birth
- when you’d like to start your paternity leave and pay
- whether you are taking 1 or 2 weeks of paternity leave
However, it is important to check your employer’s maternity/paternity policy for exact notification requirements. The requirements and entitlements will be the same for same-sex couples.
Adoption
When a couple adopt a child, one person is the 'main adopter' and one is the 'secondary adopter'. The main adopter can take adoption leave and pay; more information can be found on this in the sections on 'pay' and 'leave' below. The secondary adopter can take paternity leave and pay. The requirements and entitlements will be the same for same-sex couples.
If you are the main adopter or are adopting as a single person, you must tell your employer that you want to take adoption leave. You should do this within seven days of hearing that you’ve been matched with a child for adoption, or as soon as is practical after this. Tell your employer when you expect the child to be placed with you and when you want your statutory adoption leave to start.
However, it is important to check your employer’s maternity/paternity/adoption policy for exact notification requirements.
Surrogacy
Surrogacy is when someone else carries and gives birth to a baby for the intended parents. If you use a surrogate, the surrogate will be the child’s legal parent at birth.
If you're taking time off work to have a child through surrogacy, you might be eligible for statutory adoption leave and pay. If you do this as a couple, your partner could then be eligible for paternity leave and pay.
This area can be complex. Find out more about the legal rights of parents and surrogates on . It is also important to check your employer’s maternity/paternity/adoption policy for exact notification requirements.
It is often a good idea to tell your employer you are pregnant because once they are aware, your employer:
- should immediately take into account any risks identified in your workplace risk assessment including any specific risks to new and expectant mothers (read more from the , or from the )
- should not subject you to less favourable treatment in line with discrimination law
- must make any reasonable adjustments if required
- must record any pregnancy-related sickness separately to ‘normal’ sickness absence
- must allow you paid time off for antenatal care appointments.
You do not have to tell a prospective employer that you are pregnant when you are applying for a job. The fact that you are pregnant should not be taken into account when determining who gets the job.
If it were taken into account and you were treated less favourably, it would be viewed as discrimination.
Contact us for further advice if you think you have been discriminated against because of your pregnancy.