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View full libraryThis Maternity Leave Notification Letter enables an employee to formally notify their employer of their pregnancy and intention to take maternity leave. It records the expected week of childbirth, proposed maternity leave start date and relevant information needed to plan maternity leave arrangements.
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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.
This template brings together the key information, sections and considerations you need to create a clear, comprehensive and professional HR document. Preview the document below.
[Sender name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Notification of pregnancy and maternity leave
I am writing to formally notify you that I am pregnant.
My expected week of childbirth is [Expected Week of Childbirth / Due Date].
I intend to start my maternity leave on [Maternity Leave Start Date].
I currently expect my maternity leave to begin on this date and understand that I
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Employees who are entitled to Statutory Maternity Leave need to notify their employer that they are pregnant and provide information about when they intend to start maternity leave. This letter provides a straightforward written record of that notification and can be used to ensure the employer has the information needed to plan for the employee's maternity leave.
The letter formally confirms the employee's pregnancy and provides the information required to notify the employer of the intended maternity leave arrangements. Providing the notification in writing also gives both the employee and employer a clear record of the information supplied.
The employee should provide the expected week of childbirth or expected due date. This information is used to determine relevant maternity leave and pay dates and to establish the applicable notice periods.
The employee can use the letter to confirm the date on which they intend their maternity leave to begin. The earliest maternity leave can normally start is 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth, although maternity leave can start earlier automatically in certain circumstances, such as an early birth or pregnancy-related absence during the four weeks before the expected week of childbirth.
Where the employee is seeking Statutory Maternity Pay, the letter can also confirm the intended start date for maternity pay. Maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay have separate eligibility and notice requirements, so the employee should provide the information required for both where applicable.
The notification gives the employer an opportunity to respond formally, carry out any required health and safety assessment and begin planning appropriate arrangements for the employee's absence. The employee can subsequently discuss holiday, keeping in touch arrangements and their anticipated return to work.
Related HR resources and workflow
Explore the HR resources that may be relevant before and / or after using the Maternity leave notification letter, 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 letter 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 who is entitled to Statutory Maternity Leave should normally notify their employer no later than the 15th week before the week their baby is due. If this is not reasonably practicable, they should tell their employer as soon as possible.
The employee should tell their employer that they are pregnant, provide the expected week of childbirth and confirm the date they want their maternity leave to start. If claiming Statutory Maternity Pay, they should also provide the required information about when they want their maternity pay to begin.
No. An MATB1 certificate is not required to notify the employer of pregnancy or maternity leave. It is relevant to Statutory Maternity Pay and is normally provided when it becomes available.
Yes. The employee can normally change their planned start date by giving the required notice. Maternity leave can also start automatically if the baby is born early or if the employee is absent from work for a pregnancy-related reason during the four weeks before the expected week of childbirth.
The employee should notify the employer in writing as a practical matter, and an employer can require notice in writing. A written notification provides a clear record of the pregnancy, expected week of childbirth and intended maternity leave start date.
HRDocBox templates provide a practical starting point based on current UK employment requirements, Acas guidance and established HR practice. AI can help generate wording, but a ready-made HRDocBox letter provides a clear structure for giving the employer the information required for maternity leave planning.
We found the balance of detail about right. It struck a good balance between being professional and sounding like something we would actually send. It gave us sensible wording for a message that needed to be handled carefully.
It gave the manager a clear route through what could otherwise become a fiddly piece of correspondence. It gave us a useful reference when checking the final correspondence. The wording was clear enough that we did not have to keep rewriting it.
How this content is developed and reviewed
The Maternity leave notification letter 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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