Maternity leave letter

If you’re planning to take maternity leave (also known as parental leave) to care for your new baby, ideally you should notify your employer as soon as possible so that they can prepare for your absence. The minimum requirement for giving your employer notice is 10 weeks written notice before commencing parental leave.

What to include in your maternity leave letter

In your maternity leave letter (parental leave letter), you are required to give notice to your employer in writing. In your letter requesting parental leave, you need to include:

• Your intended start date of parental leave and your expected return to work date
• If your partner intends to take leave and if so what dates
• The expected date of birth of your child, or if you are adopting a child the expected date of placement
• Any serious health conditions that may affect your job or require your employer to find you alternative duties

It’s a good idea to include a medical certificate confirming your pregnancy and your expected due date with your maternity leave letter.

If you need to leave work sooner than you planned due to unexpected illness or premature birth, your employer must allow you to start your parental leave from the day you left work, even if this is less than 10 weeks notice.

For more information see Maternity Leave Policy.