Maternity Protection Act, 1994

Entitlement to additional maternity leave.

14.—(1) An employee who has taken maternity leave shall, if she so wishes, be entitled in accordance with this section to further leave, to be known (and referred to in this Act) as “additional maternity leave”, for a maximum period of four consecutive weeks commencing immediately after the end of her maternity leave.

(2) An employee shall be entitled to additional maternity leave, whether or not the minimum period of maternity leave has been extended under section 12 .

(3) Entitlement to additional maternity leave shall be subject to an employee having notified in writing her employer (or caused her employer to be so notified) in accordance with subsection (4) of her intention to take such leave.

(4) Notification under subsection (3) shall be given either at the same time as the relevant notification under section 9 or not later than four weeks before the date which would have been the employee's expected date of return to work under Part IV if she had not taken the additional maternity leave.

(5) A notification under this section may be revoked by a further notification in writing given by or on behalf of the employee concerned to her employer not later than four weeks before the date which would have been her expected date of return to work under Part IV if she had not taken the additional maternity leave.

(6) The Minister may by order amend subsection (1) so as to extend the period of four consecutive weeks mentioned in that subsection.