Maternity leave calculator
Enter your expected due date to get the first and last day of leave, the day you are back and the notice deadlines under the official rule for the US, UK, Canada or Australia. Dates and weeks only, never money, with the source and the day we checked it beside every result.
Rule used: FMLA (U.S. Department of Labor). Dates and weeks only, never money.
Enter your expected due date.
You will get the first and last day of leave, the day you are back, the notice deadlines and the limits of the rule for the United States, each with its official source and the day we checked it.
Stays on this page.
Your first day defaults to the due date.
To check the 12-month mark. Stays on this page.
Information, not legal advice. Your employer’s policy, your contract and your state or province can differ from the rule shown. Confirm dates with your employer and the official body.
Worked example: a baby due Thursday, March 18, 2027
Each country’s rule applied to the same due date, with the first day left at its default (the Sunday that starts the expected week in the UK, the due date elsewhere). The leaf shows the date; the row says what it is.
United States
FMLA (U.S. Department of Labor)
- Give notice by: February 16, 2027, 2027
- Last day of 12 workweeks: June 9, 2027, 2027
- Back at work after 12 weeks: June 10, 2027, 2027
United Kingdom
Statutory Maternity Leave (GOV.UK)
- Earliest start of leave: December 27, 2026, 2026
- Tell your employer by: December 3, 2026, 2026
- Last day of the 52 weeks: March 11, 2028, 2028
- Back at work if you take all 52 weeks: March 12, 2028, 2028
Canada
EI maternity and parental benefits (Canada.ca)
- Earliest start of maternity benefits: December 24, 2026, 2026
- Last day of 15 weeks from that start: June 30, 2027, 2027
- Maternity benefits cannot be received after: July 15, 2027, 2027 (estimate)
Australia
Unpaid parental leave (Fair Work Act 2009)
- Earliest start without your employer’s agreement: February 4, 2027, 2027
- Give written notice by: January 7, 2027, 2027
- Last day of 12 months: March 17, 2028, 2028
- Back at work after 12 months: March 18, 2028, 2028
| Country | Rule | Length | Job-protected? |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | FMLA | Up to 12 workweeks in a 12-month period | Rule read: leave from work |
| United Kingdom | Statutory Maternity Leave | 52 weeks (26 + 26) | Rule read: leave from work |
| Canada | EI maternity benefits | Up to 15 weeks of benefits, then 35 or 61 parental weeks for one parent | Not confirmed (provincial, territorial or federal law) |
| Australia | Unpaid parental leave | 12 months, with a request for 12 more | Rule read: leave from work |
How much maternity leave do you get in each country?
In the United States, the Family and Medical Leave Act gives eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of leave in a 12-month period for the birth of a child and to care for the newborn. In the United Kingdom, Statutory Maternity Leave is 52 weeks: 26 ordinary and 26 additional. In Australia an employee is entitled to 12 months of unpaid parental leave and can ask for up to 12 months more. In Canada, Employment Insurance pays maternity benefits for up to 15 weeks plus parental benefits, but those are benefit weeks, not job-protected leave.
When can maternity leave start?
In the UK the earliest start is usually 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth, and leave starts the day after the birth if the baby is early. In Australia leave for the pregnant employee may start up to 6 weeks before the expected date of birth, or earlier if the employer agrees. In Canada, EI maternity benefits can start as early as 12 weeks before the due date. The US page we read gives no limit for a start before the birth, so it is not confirmed.
How much notice do I have to give my employer?
In the UK, at least 15 weeks before your due date you tell your employer when the baby is due and when you want to start; they must write back within 28 days. In the US, employees must give 30 days’ advance notice when the need for leave is foreseeable. In Australia, written notice is due at least 10 weeks before starting, with the dates confirmed at least 4 weeks before. In Canada, applying more than 4 weeks after your last day of work may lose benefits.
How do I work out the date I go back to work?
Add the length of leave to your first day. In the UK, 52 weeks from the first day gives the return date. In the US, 12 workweeks is 84 calendar days for a full-time schedule and one unbroken stretch. In Australia, 12 months from the first day. The calculator uses these counts and shows the working in each row. Canada shows no return date, because EI pays benefit weeks and your job protection comes from provincial, territorial or federal labour law that we did not confirm.
Does this calculator tell me how much I will be paid?
No. It never shows money. Pay for maternity or parental leave comes from your employer or from government programmes with their own rules, linked from the official pages in the sources list.
Questions about maternity leave
Do I qualify for FMLA leave?
The Department of Labor lists three tests: 12 months with a covered employer, at least 1,250 hours of service in the 12 months before leave, and a work location with at least 50 employees within 75 miles. The 12 months need not be consecutive. The tool checks the 12-month mark if you enter your start date; the other two tests need your employer’s records.
Is Canadian EI the same as job-protected leave?
No. EI pays benefits for weeks. How long your job is protected is set by the labour law of your province or territory, or by the federal code, and no page we opened gives it, so the tool shows no return date for Canada.
Can a partner use these rules?
Canada’s maternity benefits cannot be shared, while parental benefits can be shared between parents. The Australian rule covers an employee whose spouse or de facto partner gives birth. This tool covers the dates for the person giving birth; for a partner, read the official pages linked in each result.
What if the baby arrives early or late?
In the UK leave starts the day after an early birth. Limits that count from the birth date are shown as estimates from your due date; change the due date to the real birth date and they move.
Why is my country or state missing?
We only include countries whose official rule we opened. Many states, provinces and employers give more than the national minimum, and those rules are not covered.
Is my due date saved or sent anywhere?
No. The due date and the dates you enter stay on the page; they are not saved, sent, or placed in the web address.
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Sources and limits
- U.S. Department of Labor: Family and Medical Leave Act
“Up to 12 workweeks of leave in a 12-month period” for the birth of a child and to care for the newborn within one year of birth; eligibility: 12 months with a covered employer, 1,250 hours in the 12 months before leave, a location with 50 employees within 75 miles.
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Opened on . Page says: last updated January 26, 2026.
- U.S. Department of Labor: FMLA frequently asked questions
30-day advance notice when the need for leave is foreseeable; the 12 months of employment need not be consecutive; leave for bonding must conclude within 12 months after the birth.
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division. Opened on .
- GOV.UK: Maternity pay and leave, Leave
Statutory Maternity Leave is 52 weeks (26 ordinary, 26 additional); 2 weeks must be taken after the birth (4 in a factory); the earliest start is usually 11 weeks before the expected week of childbirth; leave starts the day after an early birth; 8 weeks’ notice to change the return date.
UK Government. Opened on .
- GOV.UK: Maternity pay and leave, How to claim
“At least 15 weeks before your due date, tell your employer when the baby is due and when you want to start your maternity leave.” The employer must write back within 28 days with the start and end dates.
UK Government. Opened on .
- GOV.UK: Maternity pay and leave, Eligibility
You qualify for Statutory Maternity Leave if you are an employee (not a “worker”) and give the correct notice; length of service, hours and pay do not matter. Not available if the child is born through surrogacy.
UK Government. Opened on .
- Canada.ca: EI maternity and parental benefits
Maternity benefits: up to 15 weeks, not shareable. Parental benefits: standard up to 40 weeks shared (35 for one parent) within 52 weeks, or extended up to 69 weeks shared (61 for one parent) within 78 weeks, counted from the week the child is born.
Government of Canada, Employment Insurance. Opened on . Page shows: 2026-06-02.
- Canada.ca: EI maternity and parental benefits, Apply
Maternity benefits can start as early as 12 weeks before the due date; they cannot be received more than 17 weeks after the due date or the date of birth, whichever is later; applying more than 4 weeks after the last day of work may lose benefits.
Government of Canada, Employment Insurance. Opened on . Page shows: 2026-06-02.
- Fair Work Act 2009, Division 5: Parental leave (Fair Work Commission copy)
Sections 67, 70, 71, 72A, 74, 76 and 76A of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Compilation No. 68, compilation date 30 August 2025, authorised version C2025C00518): 12 months of unpaid parental leave; may start up to 6 weeks before the expected birth and must end within 24 months of the birth; 10 weeks’ written notice; request up to 12 more months at least 4 weeks before the end.
Australian Government, Fair Work Commission (text of the Act). Opened on . Compilation No. 68, 30/08/2025.
Not confirmed: Four countries only. The Fair Work Ombudsman pages did not open from the machine used to build this site, so Australia is read from the text of the Act (Compilation No. 68, 30 August 2025) and later amendments are not confirmed. Canada shows no return date, and the US shows no limit for a start before the birth. Every tool result lists what its pages do not say.
Information, not legal advice. Your employer’s policy, your contract, your state or province and a union agreement can give you more than the minimum shown here, and rules change. Confirm dates with your employer and the official body before you plan or give notice. Nothing you type leaves your browser.