Giving notice to your employer

Edited by Oliver Wakefield-Smith, Founder of Digital Signet. Last reviewed 23 June 2026.

Direct answer

When is the deadline?

You must give your employer 28 days notice in writing of when you want SMP to begin, and no later than the end of the qualifying week (the 15th week before your EWC). In practice it is cleaner to give notice together with the MATB1 in a single letter, well before the QW closes.

What the notice must contain

That you are pregnant.
Your expected week of childbirth.
The date you want SMP to start.
The date you want maternity leave to start (often, but not always, the same date).

Sample wording

Dear [Manager name], I am writing to confirm that I am pregnant. My expected week of childbirth is the week beginning Sunday [DD Month YYYY] (see attached MATB1). I would like my maternity leave to start on [DD Month YYYY], and I am giving notice that I want my Statutory Maternity Pay to begin on the same date. I will give you at least 8 weeks notice if I want to change this date. Kind regards, [Your name] [Date]

Changing the start date later

You can change the start date if you give your employer at least 8 weeks notice. If you cannot give 8 weeks notice (for example, because of pregnancy-related illness or early birth), the change is still permitted but should be made as soon as reasonably practicable.

If you miss the deadline

If you have good cause for missing the 28-day deadline, your employer is required to accept your notice within a reasonable later time. If they refuse and you cannot resolve it informally, you can contact HMRC who can determine your entitlement.