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View full libraryOur Confirmation of Sickness Absence during the Last Four Weeks Before Expected Week of Childbirth Letter template assists employers in validating maternity-related absences, ensuring support for employees.
[Sender name]
[Sender address]
[date]
[Recipient name]
[Recipient address]
Dear [Recipient first name],
Absence During Last Four Weeks Before Expected Week of Childbirth
I am writing to confirm that your absence from work during the last four weeks before your expected week of childbirth is being treated as sickness absence, rather than triggering the beginning of your maternity leave.
We understand that pregnancy can be a challenging time and we want to support you in any way we can. If you need to take
Need the complete Parental and family process?
Explore the Parental and family templates toolkitThe purpose of the letter confirming sickness absence during the last four weeks before expected week of childbirth is to inform a pregnant employee that if they need to take time off work due to sickness during the last four weeks of their pregnancy, this will not be treated as the start of their maternity leave. Instead, the absence will be treated as sickness absence and the employee will continue to accrue their normal rights and benefits as an employee, including sick pay and holiday entitlement.
This policy is in line with the statutory maternity provisions set out in the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 2019. The letter also provides reassurance and support to the employee during a challenging time and clarifies any questions they may have about their entitlements.
Yes. This template has been designed for organisations of all sizes, including small businesses, charities and growing employers. It follows UK employment law best practice and can be adapted to suit your organisation.
Our templates are developed with UK employment legislation, Acas guidance and HR best practice in mind and are reviewed and updated as relevant requirements change. However, every employment situation is different, so the template should be adapted to the circumstances and checked against the employee's contract and your organisation's procedures before use.
Yes, we highlight the areas of the document that you need to update with your own details, and where you need to make decisions to suit your situation. This saves you time and ensures that you meet best practice.
Yes. Once purchased, you'll be able to download it instantly. Templates are provided in editable format (such as .doc or .xls) so you can customise them easily, and in PDF format for easy sharing.
If you're looking for broader support, we also offer toolkits and library bundles that include the Confirmation of sickness absence during last four weeks before expected week of childbirth letter template, along with other HR templates and policies for fully managing your situation. These may be more cost-effective if you need deeper advice.
AI can produce a document quickly, but effective HR documentation needs to be more than well-written words. It needs to reflect relevant UK employment law, HR best practice, practical considerations and the circumstances in which it will be used. These resources have been professionally developed around that wider HR context, drawing on extensive practical experience, rather than simply generating a generic document from a prompt.
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 processes and founded hrdocbox to provide businesses with practical, professionally developed HR resources grounded in UK employment law and best practice.
"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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