Maternity, parental and garden leave in the United Kingdom

By the HRPricing editorial teamReviewed October 18, 2026How we research and score

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UK employees can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave and get up to 39 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay: 90% of average weekly earnings for 6 weeks, then GBP 194.32 a week (or 90%, if lower) for 33 weeks from April 2026, paid by the employer, according to GOV.UK (checked October 18, 2026). GBP 194.32 is about $259.13 at the ECB rate of October 16, 2026.

Garden leave is a different thing: a notice period in which a departing employee stays employed and paid but is told to stay away from work.

Garden leave (or gardening leave) in the UK is a period, usually the notice period, when an employee is still employed and paid but told to stay away from work and colleagues.

Maternity leave
52 weeksStatutory Maternity Pay for up to 39 weeks: 90%...
Paternity leave
2 weeksStatutory Paternity Pay GBP 194.32 or 90% of...
Annual leave
28 days5.6 weeks a year (28 days for a 5-day week), from...
Public holidays
8a year
See Deel pricing on Deel’s site
On this page
  1. Maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay
  2. Leave rules in United Kingdom at a glance
  3. Paternity leave and shared parental leave
  4. What is garden leave in the UK?
  5. Sick pay, holiday and bank holidays
  6. UK maternity and garden leave through an EOR

Maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay

Leave is 26 weeks of ordinary plus 26 weeks of additional maternity leave. Two weeks after the birth are compulsory (four for factory workers). SMP is paid through your payroll and you can recover part of it from HMRC; we did not check the recovery rate this month.

Worked example on a GBP 30,000 salary: average weekly earnings are 30,000 / 52 = GBP 576.92. Weeks 1 to 6 pay 90%, GBP 519.23 a week, so GBP 3,115.38. Weeks 7 to 39 pay GBP 194.32 (lower than 90%), so 33 x 194.32 = GBP 6,412.56. Total SMP: GBP 9,527.94, about $12,706. Enhanced maternity pay above SMP is your own policy and your own cost. Ireland, by contrast, pays its benefit from the State (Ireland's maternity benefit).

Leave rules in United Kingdom at a glance

LeaveRule and payWho paysSource
Maternity52 weeks. Statutory Maternity Pay for up to 39 weeks: 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then GBP 194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings (whichever is lower) for 33 weeks (rate from 5 April 2026). Leave = 26 weeks ordinary + 26 weeks additional; 2 weeks compulsory after birth (4 in factories)employer pays SMP, recoverable in part from HMRC (recovery rules not checked)source
Paternity2 weeks; leave is a day-one right. Statutory Paternity Pay GBP 194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower (from 6 April 2026); pay needs 26 weeks' continuous employment and earnings of at least GBP 129 a weeksource
Parental (shared)Shared Parental Pay is GBP 194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower (2026/27). Shared parental leave week totals not read today.
Sick leaveStatutory Sick Pay GBP 123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks. GOV.UK eligibility now requires only being ill for at least one full working day and lists no earnings threshold (Employment Rights Act 2025 changes; waiting-day removal not stated in words on the pages read)source

Paternity leave and shared parental leave

Paternity leave is 2 weeks and is a day-one right. Statutory Paternity Pay is GBP 194.32 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower (from April 6, 2026), but pay needs 26 weeks of continuous employment and earnings of at least GBP 129 a week.

Shared parental leave lets parents share leave and pay in the child's first year by ending the mother's maternity leave and pay early. GOV.UK's shared parental leave guide gives up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of pay to share; we could not recheck those totals for this update, so confirm them there before you plan cover. Shared Parental Pay is GBP 194.32 or 90%, whichever is lower, for 2026/27.

What is garden leave in the UK?

Garden leave (also called gardening leave) is the name for a notice period spent at home. When someone resigns or is given notice, the employer may not want them in the office, in client meetings or in company systems until they leave. On garden leave the person stays employed and keeps their salary and benefits, but is told not to come in or do any work. The GOV.UK pages we used for this guide do not cover garden leave, so we do not describe the legal rules for when an employer can use it; read the employment contract and get advice on a specific case.

What we can price is the salary. GOV.UK sets the statutory minimum notice an employer must give: 1 week after 1 month of service, 1 week per full year from 2 to 12 years, and 12 weeks after 12 years. A contract can give more. If garden leave covers a 5-week notice period for a GBP 30,000 employee with 5 years' service, the salary is 5 x 576.92 = GBP 2,884.62, plus employer National Insurance and pension as usual, because the person is still on payroll.

Sick pay, holiday and bank holidays

Statutory Sick Pay is GBP 123.25 a week or 80% of average weekly earnings, whichever is lower, paid by the employer for up to 28 weeks. GOV.UK now lists no earnings threshold, after changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025.

Paid holiday is 5.6 weeks a year (28 days on a five-day week) from day one, and you may count bank holidays within it. England and Wales have 8 bank holidays in 2026, Scotland and Northern Ireland 10 each. See the UK hiring and cost guide for the National Insurance math, the National Living Wage and UK median pay.

UK maternity and garden leave through an EOR

An EOR is the UK employer, so it pays SMP through payroll, claims the HMRC recovery and, at the end, handles any garden leave under its own employment contract. If you may want garden leave for a UK hire, ask the EOR at hiring how its contract deals with it.

EOR list prices start at $99 per employee per month (Native Teams, whose help center says EUR 99) and reach $699 (Oyster), with Deel at $599, checked October 16 and 18, 2026 (country cost index); compare others on the best EOR rankings.

See Deel EOR pricing on Deel’s site

Frequently asked questions

What is garden leave in the UK?
Garden leave is a period, usually the notice period, when an employee stays employed on full pay and benefits but is told not to come in or do any work. How it applies to a given employee depends on the employment contract, which is the first thing to check.
Do you get paid on garden leave in the UK?
Yes. The employee remains employed and is paid normal salary and benefits for the garden leave period. The statutory minimum notice an employer must give is 1 week after 1 month of service, 1 week per full year from 2 to 12 years, and 12 weeks after 12 years (GOV.UK).
How long is maternity leave in the UK?
Up to 52 weeks: 26 weeks of ordinary and 26 weeks of additional maternity leave, with 2 weeks compulsory after the birth (4 in factories), according to GOV.UK (checked October 18, 2026).
How much is Statutory Maternity Pay in 2026?
SMP is 90% of average weekly earnings for the first 6 weeks, then GBP 194.32 a week or 90% of earnings, whichever is lower, for 33 weeks, from April 2026 (GOV.UK).
Who pays maternity pay in the UK?
The employer pays Statutory Maternity Pay through payroll and can recover part of it from HMRC, according to GOV.UK. Any enhanced maternity pay above SMP is the employer's own cost.
How does shared parental leave work in the UK?
Parents can share leave and pay in the child's first year by ending maternity leave early; GOV.UK's guide gives up to 50 weeks of leave and 37 weeks of pay (totals we could not recheck this month). Shared Parental Pay is GBP 194.32 a week or 90% of earnings if lower (GOV.UK, 2026/27).
Sources (15)
  1. Deel: Deel pricing page (EOR $599 per employee per month) (checked Oct 16, 2026)
  2. European Central Bank: Euro foreign exchange reference rates, October 16, 2026 (checked Oct 18, 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: Shared Parental Leave and Pay (read Oct 18, 2026 (week totals not rechecked))
  4. Native Teams: Pricing (checked Oct 18, 2026)
  5. Native Teams: Pricing plans, features, benefits and how they work (help center) (checked Oct 18, 2026)
  6. GOV.UK National Minimum Wage rates: GOV.UK National Minimum Wage rates (checked October 18, 2026)
  7. GOV.UK LPC remit 2026: GOV.UK LPC remit 2026 (checked October 18, 2026)
  8. ONS ASHE 2025: ONS ASHE 2025 (checked October 18, 2026)
  9. GOV.UK Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027: GOV.UK Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 (checked October 18, 2026)
  10. GOV.UK Maternity leave: GOV.UK Maternity leave (checked October 18, 2026)
  11. GOV.UK Maternity pay: GOV.UK Maternity pay (checked October 18, 2026)
  12. GOV.UK Paternity eligibility: GOV.UK Paternity eligibility (checked October 18, 2026)
  13. GOV.UK Statutory Sick Pay: GOV.UK Statutory Sick Pay (checked October 18, 2026)
  14. GOV.UK SSP eligibility: GOV.UK SSP eligibility (checked October 18, 2026)
  15. GOV.UK SSP for employers: GOV.UK SSP for employers (checked October 18, 2026)

This page is general information, not tax, legal or accounting advice. Rules and rates change, so check the official source linked above before you file or sign a contract. Read our disclaimer.