Under the law, maternity leave is divided into two sections. The first 26 weeks are called Ordinary Maternity Leave (OML) and the second 26 weeks are called Additional Maternity Leave (AML).
You are entitled to different rights under OML than under AML, but you should check whether your employer offers something better than the protection offered by the law.
After returning to work from Ordinary Maternity Leave you are entitled to return to the job you were in before going on maternity leave or, if that is not possible, to another job on terms no less favourable than the previous job you were in.
On returning to work after Additional Maternity Leave you are entitled to return to a job which is the same or similar to the job you were in before going on maternity leave without reduced terms and conditions.
You may also want to consider putting in a request to work flexibly. You can do this before you return to work so that, if your request is granted, it is in place when you return to work.
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