Does this sound right?

My days get renewed today so i will have 22 days between now and my mat leave starting on the 7th June. My boss has send me an e-mail today confirming that I must take these days before or after. I have told her that i will be taking 9 months before now. So in the e-mail she has suggested that i tell her that i am taking 8 mths mat leave and then take the other month as holidays.

Something does not sound right to me. What do you think?

Are you talking about annual leave? If so, then you can certainly use it before you go on mat leave or tag it on the end, they can't make you reduce your mat leave and take holiday instead, you're entitled to use any leve entitlement on top of mat leave.

Thank you, I thought that she had turned it around to benefit her. Doesn't really benefit me in anyway at all does it?

nope, sounds like she's trying to reduce the amount of time you're away

So, you could either take your holiday before you start your 9 months mat leave (and possibly, start mat leave later if you have time), or, take 9 months mat leave as planned, then have a months holiday before going back.

the thing is too get the full month i have to work up to the friday before I am due on the monday. This would mean working up to 39+5 instead of leaving at 38 weeks. I don't think i'm happy with this at all.

It could be that she's trying to help.  If you only want 9 months of in total (and you don't get full pay for all of that) then by taking a few weeks of it as leave you'd be losing less money.  If, however, the extra time off is more important than the money then you can still take the 9 months maternity leave AND your whole holiday entitlement.

just work to when you want to, and take whatever leave you have accrued by then.

Purple Pixie:

It could be that she's trying to help.  If you only want 9 months of in total (and you don't get full pay for all of that) then by taking a few weeks of it as leave you'd be losing less money.  If, however, the extra time off is more important than the money then you can still take the 9 months maternity leave AND your whole holiday entitlement.

That could also be what she's thinking, I'm so cynical

pippin:

Thank you, I thought that she had turned it around to benefit her. Doesn't really benefit me in anyway at all does it?

it could do if you are going to be on SMP and you only wanted to take the 9 months - it means the final month you'll be on full pay instead of SMP. For example, I'm off work for 9 months but take the final month as annual leave so that I'm not on reduced pay for too long (I get full pay the first 6 months)

pippin:

the thing is too get the full month i have to work up to the friday before I am due on the monday. This would mean working up to 39+5 instead of leaving at 38 weeks. I don't think i'm happy with this at all.

 

But you accure holiday whilst on mat leave anyway so you wouldn't need to work up until 39+5... Anyway you don't have to tell your boss when you are returning they are supposed to assume you are taking a year. If you are telling her anything it is out of politeness and helpfulness she can't hold you to this or push you to decide now the exact lenght of time you will be off.