Rights for employees

By law, all pregnant employees are entitled to ordinary maternity leave of 26 weeks. Employees who worked for their employer continuously for at least 12 months are also entitled to an additional maternity leave. Employees may have additional leave rights under their contracts. Employees have the right to return to work at the end of their maternity leave. If refused, or otherwise treated unfavourably, they may also have additional claims for unfair dismissal and sex discrimination.

Prescribed procedure

You are entitled to a remedy

In a case where the dismissal of an employee for the lack of capability, qualifications or because an illness occurs, by law, an employee who is dismissed unfairly is entitled to a remedy. A dismissal may be unfair if it is not for a permissible legal reason or it is unfair in all the circumstances. Lack of capability or qualifications is a permissible reason for dismissal.

To claim unfair dismissal you must satisfy the following conditions:
You must have worked under a contract of employment or apprenticeship, for your employer, continuously for at least 12 months; and
Your employment terminated in one of the following ways: