Maternity Leave Software
for UK Employers
Track maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave in one place. Enter a due date and Leavely lays out the key legal dates, counts KIT days against the limit, and shows managers who is away and when they are due back. Part of Leavely alongside leave management, rotas and documents at £8 per user per month.
Free 14-day trial. No credit card required.
£8
per user/month
4
leave types
KIT
days counted
Family leave is rare, which is why it goes wrong
In a small business, a maternity leave might come up once every year or two. By the time it does, nobody remembers how the notice deadline is worked out, when leave can start, or how many keeping-in-touch days are allowed. The dates end up in an email thread, a calendar reminder or a note in someone's head.
That is a problem because the dates matter. Getting the start date or the notice window wrong can upset an employee at a time when trust matters most, and losing count of KIT days can end the leave by accident. Managers also need to know when someone is going and when they are coming back, so they can plan cover.
Leavely gives family leave a proper home: one record per leave, with the legal dates worked out for you and a running count of keeping-in-touch days.
What the law says, in brief
The rules Leavely uses to work out dates and limits. Eligibility for leave and pay depends on the employee's circumstances, so check the full guidance for each case.
Maternity leave and notice
Employees can take up to 52 weeks of maternity leave. They must tell you by the end of the 15th week before the expected week of childbirth. The earliest leave can start is the 11th week before that week.
Automatic start and compulsory leave
If the employee is off for a pregnancy-related reason in the 4 weeks before the expected week of childbirth, leave starts automatically. The 2 weeks after the birth are compulsory leave (4 weeks for factory workers).
Statutory Maternity Pay
SMP lasts up to 39 weeks: 6 weeks at 90% of average weekly earnings, then 33 weeks at the statutory rate or 90% of average weekly earnings if that is lower.
Paternity and adoption leave
Paternity leave is 1 or 2 weeks, taken within 52 weeks of the birth, with 28 days' notice for each period. Adoption leave can start up to 14 days before the child is placed.
Shared parental leave
Parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave within 52 weeks. Each booking needs 8 weeks' notice, and an employee can give up to 3 booking notices.
Keeping-in-touch days
Up to 10 KIT days can be worked during maternity or adoption leave, and up to 20 SPLIT days during shared parental leave, without ending the leave.
A family leave tracker built for UK rules
Replace spreadsheets and calendar reminders with one record for each period of family leave.
Four types of family leave
Record maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave against the employee. Each type uses its own rules for length, notice and keeping-in-touch days.
Key dates from the due date
Enter the expected due date and Leavely lays out the notice deadline, earliest start date, automatic start window and compulsory leave period.
KIT and SPLIT day tracking
Log each keeping-in-touch day as it happens. Leavely counts them against the limit for that leave type, so you can see how many are left before agreeing another.
Manager view of their team
Line managers see family leave for the people who report to them, so they can plan cover and know when someone is due back.
Admin-only notes
Keep sensitive notes on a record that only admins can read. Managers and the employee see the dates, not the private notes.
Alongside leave and absence
Family leave sits in the same HR platform as annual leave, absence, documents and rotas, so an employee's time away is in one place.
How it works
- 1
Add the leave to the employee
An admin opens Family leave, chooses the employee and the type of leave, and enters the expected due date or placement date. Leavely stops you recording two overlapping periods for the same person.
- 2
Check the key dates
Leavely shows the legal dates worked out from the due date, so you can confirm the notice deadline and earliest start with the employee.
- 3
Set the leave dates
Record the agreed start date. Leavely fills in the end date for the full period, and you can change it if the employee is taking less.
- 4
Log KIT days and plan the return
Record keeping-in-touch days as they are worked and see who is upcoming, on leave or returned at a glance.
Who can see what
Pregnancy and family details are personal. Access follows each person's role.
Admins and owners
Record, change and see every family leave record, including admin-only notes.
Managers
See family leave for the people who report to them, so they can plan cover. They cannot change records or read admin notes.
Employees
See their own family leave, key dates and KIT days, and nobody else's.
Stop working out maternity dates by hand
Record family leave, see the key dates and count KIT days. All included at £8 per user per month.
Frequently asked questions
Which types of family leave can I track in Leavely?
How does Leavely work out the key maternity dates?
Can I track KIT days and SPLIT days?
Does Leavely calculate Statutory Maternity Pay?
Who can see a family leave record?
Is family leave tracking included in the £8/user/month price?
Guides and related tools
Try Leavely free for 14 days
Family leave tracking, leave management, rotas and more. All for £8 per user per month. No credit card needed.