Legislation currently provides the following maternity rights for women who satisfy the relevant qualifying conditions:
- time off for antenatal care;
- maternity leave;
- maternity benefits;
- the right to return to work after maternity leave; and
- protection against unfair treatment or dismissal by reason of pregnancy or child birth.
Antenatal care
A pregnant woman is allowed paid time off from work to attend antenatal appointments. This is not defined by the relevant legislation, and tribunals have held that relaxation classes are an essential part of antenatal care where there is supporting medical evidence.
Maternity leave
There are three different types of maternity leave:
- Ordinary maternity leave (OML)
