What if I am off sick during the pregnancy?

Whether related or unrelated to the pregnancy, where the employee is absent from work prior to the beginning of the 4th week before the Expected Week of Confinement (EWC) this will be treated as sickness absence and should be certificated in the normal way.

If you are beyond the 4th week before EWC then sickness absence for reasons unrelated to pregnancy would be classed as ordinary sick leave and maternity leave would not commence until the date agreed.  However, a pregnancy related absence beyond the 4th week before EWC would mean that Occupational Maternity Leave (OML) would automatically commence at the beginning of the 4th week before the EWC or the beginning of the next week after the employee last worked, whichever is the later, although odd days of sickness may be disregarded.