A period of maternity leave granted by statute to an employee, which will consist of 26 weeks' ordinary maternity leave (OML) and may include a further 26 weeks additional maternity leave (AML) depending on the employee's length of service. An employee may qualify for statutory maternity pay (SMP), depending on salary and length of service.
For employees whose expected week of childbirth is on or after 1 April 2007, the qualifying period for AML will be removed.
Related links
Practical Law Dictionary. Glossary of UK, US and international legal terms. www.practicallaw.com. 2010.