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View full libraryThis Maternity Leave Notification Form provides a structured way for an employee to notify their employer of their pregnancy and intended maternity leave arrangements. It records the expected week of childbirth, planned leave start date and information relevant to maternity pay and maternity leave planning.
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If you are managing parental and family leave, the toolkit brings together practical HR templates covering notifications, eligibility, planning, leave and return to work.
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This form should be completed by an employee to formally notify their employer of their pregnancy and intended maternity leave arrangements.
1. Employee details
| Employee name: | |
| Job title: | |
| Department: | |
| Employee number: | |
| Line manager: | |
| Date form completed: |
2. Pregnancy details
| Expected week of childbirth: | |
| Expected due date, if known: | |
| Date pregnancy notified to employer: |
3. Maternity leave arrangements
| Intended maternity leave start date: | |
| Expected return to work date, |
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This form gives employees a straightforward way to provide the information needed to notify their employer of pregnancy and planned maternity leave. It provides a written record that can be retained with the employee's maternity leave documentation and used to support subsequent planning and administration.
The form records the employee's expected week of childbirth and the date on which the notification is made. Employees entitled to statutory maternity leave should normally notify their employer by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth, or as soon as reasonably practicable if this is not possible.
The employee can specify the date they intend to start maternity leave. The form should make clear that this is the employee's planned start date and that the date can subsequently be changed in accordance with the applicable notice requirements.
Maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay are separate entitlements. The form therefore provides a separate section for the employee to indicate their intended Statutory Maternity Pay start date and to record the provision of pregnancy evidence where required.
Once notification has been received, the employer can use the information to confirm the employee's maternity leave dates, consider workplace health and safety arrangements and discuss matters such as annual leave, keeping in touch arrangements and the employee's expected return to work.
A completed form provides an accessible record of the notification and the information supplied by the employee. It can be retained alongside other maternity documentation and updated if the employee subsequently changes their planned leave arrangements.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Maternity leave notification form, helping you understand the wider process, maintain appropriate documentation and follow a consistent approach.
Our Maternity Leave and Pay Policy Template outlines the company's provisions for maternity leave, pay entitlements, and return-to-work arrangements, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and supporting expectant mothers throughout their pregnancy and beyond.
If an employee has notified you that they intend to take maternity leave, issue this model letter template as acknowledgement, and to inform them that they are eligible for Maternity Pay.
Use these best practice actions, recommended timescales and process stages to understand when and how the Maternity leave notification form should be used, helping ensure each step is handled consistently and appropriately documented.
Understand the common mistakes to avoid when using this HR template, helping you reduce risk, prevent unnecessary costs and ensure the process is handled correctly.
An employee entitled to statutory maternity leave should normally notify their employer by the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. If this is not reasonably practicable, they should notify their employer as soon as possible. Employers can request the notification in writing.
No. Proof of pregnancy is not required for maternity leave notification itself. However, evidence of pregnancy will normally be required where the employee is claiming Statutory Maternity Pay.
No. Statutory Maternity Leave and Statutory Maternity Pay have separate eligibility requirements. HR or payroll should assess SMP eligibility separately.
Yes. An employee can change their intended maternity leave start date, normally by giving at least 28 days' notice of the new date or the original date, whichever is earlier. The employer may agree to a shorter period.
The form should be retained securely in accordance with the organisation's HR record retention arrangements and applicable data protection requirements. Access should be restricted to people who need the information for legitimate employment purposes.
HRDocBox templates are designed specifically for UK employers and combine practical HR experience with employment law, Acas guidance and established HR practice. They provide a structured starting point that can be adapted to an organisation's own processes rather than relying on an AI-generated document that may omit important practical or compliance considerations.
We found it particularly useful when several people needed to complete the same process. The form gave us consistency without making the process feel overly formal. The amount of detail felt proportionate to the task.
It fitted well with the records we already keep. We liked being able to work through the sections in a logical order.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Maternity leave notification form template is developed using a practical HR methodology that considers current UK employment legislation, ACAS guidance, CIPD good practice and the real-world HR process it supports. Templates and supporting information are regularly reviewed and updated, with additional reviews triggered by significant changes to legislation, guidance or established HR practice, helping ensure each document remains practical, relevant and suitable for UK employers.
Darryl Horn, Chartered HR Director
Darryl is a Chartered HR professional with over 25 years' experience in senior HR and employee relations roles.
He has extensive practical experience of managing parental and family HR processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
HRDocBox has been creating practical UK HR documents since 2009.
"Darryl provides support and advice with excellent judgement, and has a strong understanding of people, policies and UK employment legislation."
"He is someone I trust; consistent, dependable, and committed to doing things properly."
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