In Turkey, maternity leave was extended from 16 to 24 weeks from 1 May 2026. In France, for children born on or after 1 January 2026, each parent (including mothers) is entitled to two months of supplementary birth leave, available from 1 July 2026.
From 6 April 2026, the Employment Rights Act 2025 removes the three-day waiting period for eligibility for SSP. Employers no longer need to consider whether waiting days apply where the employee has intermittent pregnancy-related absence.
The statutory maternity pay rate increased on 5 April 2026. The examples in this guide on payment for keeping-in-touch days have been updated with the new rate.
Updated to confirm that enhanced redundancy protections will apply for employees taking, or returning, from bereaved partner's paternity leave. HR teams should ensure that their redundancy policies and processes reflect this additional protection.
The sections in this policy on Notice to take maternity leave and Maternity pay have been updated to reflect that employers should accept a copy of the MAT B1 from 1 April 2026 and do not have to be shown the original. Providing medical evidence of the expected week of childbirth via this form is an important step for a pregnant employee who wishes to be paid SMP during their maternity leave.