Pregnancy and maternity leave: what are you entitled to, what should you pay attention to?

Are you pregnant? Congratulations! If your pregnancy goes well, you are entitled to 6 weeks of maternity leave in the last period. And after giving birth you are entitled to 10 weeks of maternity leave. Because you do not know exactly when your baby will be born, you can 'take along' the days of your maternity leave if you give birth during your maternity leave.

As with most schemes, there are exceptions. And there are a few things you should pay close attention to.

How do you plan your maternity leave?: You are entitled to a total of six weeks of maternity leave, that is at least four weeks before the due date must enter. That gives you two weeks of slack. If you do not take these two weeks before giving birth, you will not lose the leave days, but they will be added to your maternity leave.
You decide when your maternity leave starts exactly. Would you like to be free six weeks before giving birth, or do you think four or five weeks before giving birth is early enough?
How many weeks do you have maternity leave?: The maternity leave is at least 10 weeks and starts on the day after you give birth. Maternity leave that you have not yet been able to take will be added to your maternity leave. You are therefore always entitled to in total at least 16 weeks of maternity leave.
When should you request your leave?: You must request your maternity leave from your employer at least 3 weeks before your leave starts. You must show a pregnancy declaration from your doctor or obstetrician with your application. Your employer can then apply for a benefit from the UWV for your maternity leave. Thanks to this benefit, you will earn the same as before during your pregnancy and maternity leave.
On a row:

You are entitled to 6 weeks of maternity leave

You are entitled to 10 weeks of maternity leave from the day after you give birth

Your maternity leave starts at least 4 weeks before your due date

Request your maternity leave at least 3 weeks in advance

You will be paid 100 percent during your leave
What about holidays that fall within my maternity or maternity leave period?: If you take maternity leave, you may take the leave that coincides with this at another time. This applies to your holiday, but also to other leave that you were unable to take due to your pregnancy and maternity leave.

According to the AOb the (European) laws and regulations mean that an employer may not make a difference between maternity leave, maternity leave and regular holiday leave. That's why we strained a procedure to the Supreme Court. It stipulated that if you take maternity leave, you are also entitled to the same days off that your colleagues are entitled to. Because taking pregnancy and maternity leave should not lead to inequality in your terms of employment.
What if you don't get compensation?
If your employer does not want to give you compensation, you can point this out to your employer the pronounciation of the Supreme Council. As a member of the AOb our legal department can advise you or assist you in legal proceedings.
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