Planning maternity leave? Read our guide

22 February 2023

The Police Federation of England and Wales has developed a calculator for members to work out how much maternity leave and pay they are entitled to.

The calculator allows officers to enter a due date, or dates for other scenarios such as early birth, extended maternity leave, or sickness for pregnancy-related reasons in the weeks prior to their due date.

Darren Harris, chair of Suffolk Police Federation, explained: “Welcoming a new child into your family should be a happy time but it can be stressful if you are unsure of what the time off will mean for your household budget. We have developed a useful tool that will help you to plan for every eventuality, and I hope members make use of it.

“If an officer takes maternity leave early, things can become complicated, and forces sometimes get it wrong. So please be prepared but also turn to your Federation rep or the branch if you need any help or advice.”

Maternity rules operate differently for police officers than for other pregnant workers. Officers, for example, are eligible for both Police Maternity Pay and Statutory Maternity Pay but are only entitled to police maternity leave, not statutory maternity leave.

The Federation has also prepared a booklet to guide members on what to expect during pregnancy, while on maternity leave and when returning to work, as well as setting out entitlements available to partners.

Read the booklet and access the calculator.