The Employment Rights (Northern Ireland) Order 1996

Duration of maternity leave period

105.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), an employee’s maternity leave period continues for the period of fourteen weeks from its commencement or until the birth of the child, if later.

(2) Subject to paragraph (3), where any requirement imposed by or under any relevant statutory provision prohibits the employee from working for any period after the end of the period mentioned in paragraph (1) by reason of her having recently given birth, her maternity leave period continues until the end of that later period.

(3) Where the employee is dismissed after the commencement of her maternity leave period but before the time when (apart from this paragraph) that period would end, the period ends at the time of the dismissal.

(4) In paragraph (2) “relevant statutory provision” means a statutory provision other than a provision for the time being specified in an order made under Article 98(2).

(5) The Department may by order vary paragraphs (1) to (4).