UK Pregnancy & Family Rights at Work

SMP for 39 weeks: 90% of your average weekly earnings for first 6 weeks, then £187.18/week (or 90% if lower) for 33 weeks. You qualify if you've worked for the same employer for 26 weeks by the qualifying week. If not eligible, you may qualify for Maternity Allowance from HMRC instead.

2 weeks at £187.18/week (statutory minimum). Many employers offer enhanced paternity pay (full pay for 2-4 weeks). The 2024 changes mean you can take it more flexibly — split into 2 separate weeks within 52 weeks of birth, instead of 1 block of 2 weeks.

Maternity leave is taken by the mother (52 weeks max). Shared Parental Leave (SPL) lets parents share up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of statutory pay, with mother needing to formally end her maternity leave first. SPL is more flexible but uptake is low — fewer than 5% of eligible UK parents use it.

Yes, but with extra protections. You must be offered any suitable alternative role available before being dismissed (priority over other redundancy candidates). Redundancy specifically because of pregnancy or maternity is automatic unfair dismissal. Time limits for tribunal claims still apply (3 months less one day from dismissal).

Yes. Each parent has 18 weeks of unpaid Parental Leave per child to use anytime before the child turns 18 (max 4 weeks per year). Separate from maternity/paternity leave. Most parents don't use it because it's unpaid, but the right exists once you have 1 year's service.