Preloaded UK policy

Maternity Policy template

SMP, OML/AML entitlement, keeping-in-touch days, return to work and redundancy protection.

Legal basis
  • ERA 1996
  • Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999
  • Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992
Last reviewed April 2025. Guidance, not legal advice.

What the policy covers

  1. 1. ENTITLEMENT
    All employees are entitled to up to 52 weeks' maternity leave regardless of length of service or hours worked, comprising:
  2. 2. NOTIFICATION
    The employee must notify your company by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth (EWC) of:
  3. 4. HEALTH AND SAFETY
    your company will carry out a specific risk assessment for pregnant employees and new mothers.
  4. 5. DURING MATERNITY LEAVE
    The employee's contract of employment continues throughout maternity leave (apart from the obligation to work and receive pay).
  5. 6. RETURN TO WORK
    The employee is entitled to return to the same job after OML.
  6. 7. REDUNDANCY PROTECTION
    Pregnant employees and those on or returning from maternity leave have enhanced redundancy protection.
  7. 8. REVIEW
    This policy will be reviewed annually and following any relevant change in SMP rates or legislation.

Who needs it

Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.

Questions people ask

Is a maternity policy a legal requirement?

It rests on ERA 1996 and Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999 and Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992. Some policies must be written down once a business reaches a certain size or does certain work; others are simply how a tribunal, an inspector or a client's auditor expects to see that you have thought about it. A clear, dated, signed policy is the evidence either way. Guidance, not legal advice.

Can I change it to suit how we work?

Yes. Inside Work-Lynx it is a starting point: put your company name in, adjust the arrangements to what you actually do, set the review date and publish it. Staff read and acknowledge it on their phones, and you can see who has not.

Is it up to date?

Last reviewed April 2025. The pack is updated when the law moves, and every policy carries a review date so it does not quietly go stale.

How do I get it?

It is preloaded in Work-Lynx with the other 48 UK policies. Work-Lynx is £2.50 a month plus £1 per employee, 14 days free, no card, and what you see on the pricing page is the bill.

Who is it for?

Any UK employer running rotas, leave and the day-to-day of employing people. These set out the rules once so nobody argues about them twice.

All 49 UK policies, £2.50 a month

This policy and 48 others are already in Work-Lynx, alongside GPS clock-in, rotas, timesheets, leave and Employ AI for UK employment law. £2.50 base plus £1 per employee a month. 14 days free, no card, no sales call.

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