Pregnant police officer: your rights, duties and uniform
What happens at work once you are pregnant: telling your force, the risk assessment, which duties change and why, body armour and maternity uniform, antenatal appointments, sickness, discrimination and coming back. Written for officers in England and Wales, with a section for police staff.
Independent information, not advice · Sources checked 14 October 2026 · England and Wales
Tell your force in writing as soon as you reasonably can, because the duty to protect you only starts then. Your force must then carry out an individual risk assessment and, where a risk cannot be controlled, change your duties or hours, move you to suitable alternative work, or as a last resort send you home on full pay. Being taken off confrontational work, personal safety training and similar duties is a health and safety measure, not a demotion: national guidance says it must not reduce your status or pay, and Home Office guidance keeps pregnancy out of the limited duties pay rules. You are protected from unfavourable treatment by the Equality Act 2010, which covers officers through section 42. Officers are office holders, not employees, so most of your maternity rights come from Police Regulations, not employment law.
The three things to do this week
- Tell your line manager in writing. An email is enough. The legal duty to change your work for your safety starts when your force has written notice (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 18).
- Ask for your pregnancy risk assessment and a copy of it. It decides what you stop doing and when. Ask for it to be reviewed at least every two months and after antenatal appointments.
- Book the time for antenatal care. Officers have the right not to be unreasonably refused special leave for antenatal appointments (Police Regulations 2003, regulation 33(6)).
Then plan your dates. Our free pregnancy timeline planner works out your expected week of childbirth, the SMP qualifying week and the payslips that set your SMP, when your leave can start, your pay phases and your return, and gives you a calendar file. Nothing you enter is stored.
First, the office holder point
Police officers are not employees. You hold the office of constable, and your terms come from the Police Regulations 2003 and Home Office determinations. The Federation’s maternity guide and the national NPCC guidance both open with this point, because it changes where your rights come from.
Most employment law that people quote about pregnancy is written for employees. Section 200 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 switches off, for police service, the antenatal time off section (section 55), the pregnancy detriment section (47C), suspension on maternity grounds (Part VII) and maternity leave (Part VIII). Officers get equivalent rights from other places:
| Right | Police officers | Police staff (employees) |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity leave | Police Regulations 2003 reg 33(7) and Annex R | Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999 |
| Maternity pay (occupational) | Annex L (26 weeks’ full pay with 63 weeks’ service) | Your force’s staff scheme |
| Statutory Maternity Pay | Yes: the SMP rules count office holders as employees (SSCBA 1992 s.171) | Yes |
| Antenatal appointments | Reg 33(6): right not to be unreasonably refused special leave | Employment Rights Act 1996 s.55: paid time off |
| Risk assessment | Yes: HSWA 1974 s.51A treats constables as employees of the chief officer for health and safety | Yes |
| Discrimination | Equality Act 2010, via s.42 | Equality Act 2010 |
| Flexible working | Part-time service by agreement (reg 5); see “Not verified” | Statutory right to request (ERA 1996 s.80F) |
| Detriment and unfair dismissal (ERA) | Mostly disapplied for police service (ERA s.200) | Yes |
- Health and safety. Section 51A of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 treats a constable as an employee of the chief officer for Part I of the Act, so the risk assessment rules for new and expectant mothers apply.
- The Equality Act 2010. Section 42 treats holding the office of constable as employment by the chief officer for the work provisions, including pregnancy and maternity discrimination.
- Statutory Maternity Pay. The SMP rules count anyone in an office with earnings as an employee (SSCBA 1992 section 171).
A rough order of events
Every pregnancy and every force is different, so treat this as a checklist of order, not fixed dates. The planner turns it into your own dates.
| When | What to do | Rule or guidance |
|---|---|---|
| As soon as you know | Tell your line manager in writing. Ask for a pregnancy risk assessment straight away. | MHSWR 1999 reg 18 |
| Booking appointment (about 8 to 10 weeks) | Ask for special leave for antenatal appointments. Keep the appointment card. | Police Regulations reg 33(6) |
| First risk assessment | Agree what changes now: PPST, confrontational work, nights, PAVA and Taser carriage, driving. Get a copy. | MHSWR reg 16; NPCC guidance |
| About 20 weeks before the due date | Your midwife or GP can issue the MATB1. Send a copy to HR. | GOV.UK; Annex R para 3 |
| At least every two months | Review the risk assessment, and after antenatal appointments or any change. | NPCC Chapter 4; Federation guide |
| Before you finalise dates | Plan leave start, SMP start and annual leave. Give 28 days’ notice for SMP. | SSCBA 1992 s.164 |
| 15th week before the expected week | SMP qualifying week. The payslips around it set your first 6 weeks of SMP. | SMP (General) Regulations 1986 reg 21 |
Telling your force: when, how and what to give
Officers have no fixed deadline. Annex R to the Police Regulations says you must give notice of your pregnancy, your expected date of birth and the date you intend to start maternity leave “as soon as reasonably practicable” after you know the due date. You may hear about a “15th week” deadline: that is the rule for employees, including police staff, under the Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999. For officers the 15th week still matters, but for pay: it is the SMP qualifying week, and for police maternity pay you must still be pregnant (or have had a live premature birth) 15 weeks before the due date.
What to give. Your force can ask for a certificate from a registered medical practitioner, midwife or health visitor confirming the pregnancy and due date, and you do not qualify for police maternity leave if you fail to produce one when asked (Annex R paragraph 3). In practice this is the MATB1, which your midwife or GP can give you from 20 weeks before the due date. SMP needs proof of pregnancy too.
Force forms and notice periods. Force policies add their own process on top. Norfolk, for example, asks officers to tell their line manager in writing as soon as reasonably practicable after the pregnancy is confirmed, then to submit a maternity notification form at least 28 days before leave starts, matching the 28 days’ notice SMP needs. To change your leave dates later, Annex R needs not less than 21 days’ notice.
Until your force has written notice, it does not have to change anything for you. Telling early is what switches on the individual risk assessment, the review meetings and paid time off for appointments. It also makes your Equality Act protection easier to rely on: the protected period runs from the start of the pregnancy, but unfavourable treatment is much harder to show if your force did not know.
Telling your sergeant does not mean telling your team. Ask for it to be kept confidential until you are ready.
The pregnancy risk assessment
Every force must assess the risks of its work to women of childbearing age as part of its general risk assessment (regulation 16(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999). Once you tell your force in writing that you are pregnant, have given birth in the last six months or are breastfeeding, it must look at your own job and, where a significant risk remains, act on it (regulations 16 and 18). You count as a “new or expectant mother” for all three.
What your force must do if a risk cannot be controlled
- Alter your working conditions or hours to avoid the risk.
- If that is not possible, offer suitable alternative work. HSE says this should come before any suspension.
- If that is not possible either, suspend you for as long as needed to protect you and your baby. National police guidance describes this as leave on full pay until your maternity leave starts.
The Federation points out that forces do not have to take these steps in strict order, but they must go through a real assessment with you: “The force should not have a policy of simply moving you to a particular role because you are pregnant”. The 2010 national PNB guidance said the same: designating roles for pregnant women without a specific risk assessment “would not be an appropriate response”.
How often it is reviewed
- NPCC (2026): as the pregnancy progresses, after any change, and “as a minimum” at least every two months. The national template has sign-offs for each trimester and for return to work.
- Norfolk: usually monthly, or after an antenatal appointment.
- Federation: regularly, for example each time you have had an antenatal appointment.
What it should cover
The NPCC template, published in 2026, covers operational duties and confrontation, violence, night work and long hours, standing and sitting, lifting, driving and travel, harmful substances and infection, PPE, rest and welfare facilities, and mental health and wellbeing. Ask for a copy and check your own role’s tasks are listed, not just a generic form.
Give your force any advice from your midwife, GP or consultant so it can be taken into account. Occupational health can help if you and your manager cannot agree. See how occupational health works.
Adjusted duties are not a punishment and do not cut your pay
People still say “light duties”. The accurate description is adjusted or alternative duties under a health and safety risk assessment. They exist to protect you and your baby, not to manage your performance.
- Status and pay. National NPCC guidance says alternative duties must suit your skills and experience, “not reduce status or pay”, and not adversely affect promotion or development. Your role or department should not be changed without consulting you.
- Your choice to stay. Where your current role is high risk, such as front-line duties or significant contact with detainees, you may be offered a temporary alternative role, but you “have the right to remain in their current role if they choose to do so”, with all reasonable adjustments and adequate risk control.
- Not limited duties. The adjusted duties pay rules in Annex EE (an 8% reduction after a review) do not apply here. The Home Office Limited Duties Guidance says officers who are pregnant or breastfeeding are excluded “insofar as any limitations to their deployability are related to their pregnancy or breastfeeding”. See restricted and limited duties for how those rules work for other reasons.
- Allowances. The Federation says you keep basic pay and allowances that meet an expense (it gives London Weighting and the dog handler’s allowance as examples), but not payments tied to tasks you no longer perform because of the pregnancy, such as overtime or unsocial hours payments.
- Reduced hours. If the risk assessment reduces your hours as an adjustment, NPCC guidance says this does not affect your wage.
Being sidelined, losing a development opportunity or a promotion process, or being criticised for the adjustments themselves can be pregnancy discrimination. See the discrimination section and talk to your Federation representative early.
What usually changes, and on what authority
There is no national list that applies to every pregnant officer. What changes is set by your own risk assessment. These are the activities national guidance and the force policies we read deal with:
| Activity | What the guidance says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Personal safety training (PPST, OST) | Thames Valley: once an officer tells her manager she is pregnant she is “not permitted” to do PPST. Surrey and Sussex: not required to attend “until it is safe”. The College of Policing says force policy should cover pregnancy. | Force policies; College of Policing APP |
| Confrontational work, custody, public order | NPCC risk assessment template: “total removal” from activities where confrontation is reasonably foreseeable, custody suites, mounted and dog sections, diving, and public order, self-defence or method of entry training. | NPCC Chapter 4 template |
| Front-line response | Named by NPCC and Norfolk as high risk. You may be offered a temporary alternative role, but national guidance says you have the right to stay in your role if you choose, with adjustments and adequate risk control. | NPCC Chapter 4; Norfolk policy |
| Night shifts | Not automatic. You may keep working nights unless the risk assessment says otherwise or a doctor or midwife certifies you should not. With a certificate, your force must offer day work or suspend you from that work. | MHSWR reg 17; Federation guide; PNB 2010 |
| Infection and harmful substances | The NPCC template says exposure to harmful substances, including infectious diseases, must be avoided. | NPCC Chapter 4 template |
| Firearms and Taser | We found force rules on returning to these roles after maternity leave (Surrey and Sussex let Taser officers back within two years reaccredit by refresher), but no published rule on carrying them during pregnancy. It falls to your risk assessment. | Force policies; see Not verified |
| PAVA and CS spray | We found no national or force rule specific to pregnancy. Raise exposure, including in training and in custody, at your risk assessment. | Not verified |
Fitness testing. The NPCC says staff who take the job-related fitness test for personal safety training after maternity leave must be offered an alternative test (most forces use the Chester treadmill test), because after the birth and while breastfeeding hormones soften joints and ligaments. Thames Valley gives officers up to three months after returning from maternity leave to prepare for the fitness test.
Court. If you are called to court while on maternity leave, the NPCC suggests a risk assessment can be supplied to the court with reasons for asking that you do not attend. The Federation says recall to duty during maternity leave should be for exceptional reasons and never in the first two weeks after the birth.
Body armour and maternity uniform
| Item | What we found | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maternity uniform | Norfolk’s uniform supplies manager orders maternity uniform; if none fits, the force reimburses suitable office clothing. GMP: “Maternity clothing is available” from stores. The Federation supports specially designed maternity uniform. | Norfolk policy v1.6; GMP policy v28; Federation uniform policy |
| Body armour | No national rule found. The NPCC template says PPE “must be reviewed” and be safe and comfortable as the pregnancy progresses; if it no longer fits, change the work activity rather than make you wear unsuitable kit. | NPCC Chapter 4 template |
| Body armour while breastfeeding | Norfolk and the NPCC say the wearing of body armour should be considered, as it “can sometimes be tight fitting”. The NPCC breastfeeding chapter asks uniform stores to review PPE fit. | Norfolk policy; NPCC breastfeeding chapter 2026 |
| Duty belt and kit | Covered by the same PPE review. If the belt or kit cannot be worn safely, the answer is a change of duties. | NPCC Chapter 4 template |
Practical steps: ask stores for maternity uniform early, before your normal kit stops fitting; ask for the PPE review to be written into your risk assessment; and if your duties still need armour you cannot wear safely, ask for the duties to change. Do not buy kit yourself without checking: forces vary on what they will reimburse.
Antenatal appointments
Officers: regulation 33(6) of the Police Regulations 2003 gives a pregnant officer “the right not to be unreasonably refused special leave from duty” to keep an appointment for antenatal care. That is a little different from the employee right in section 55 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, which does not apply to officers. In practice force policies describe it as paid time off: Norfolk’s policy says you are entitled to reasonable paid time off for antenatal care appointments recommended by your doctor, midwife or health visitor, including scans, parentcraft and relaxation classes.
The NPCC lists the routine NHS appointments: booking (usually 8 to 10 weeks), the dating scan (around 12 weeks), 16 weeks, the anomaly scan, 25, 28, 31, 34, 38 and 40 weeks, with more if your pregnancy needs them. Your manager can ask for an appointment card for appointments after the first one, and you should try to book at the least disruptive times where you can.
Partners: Norfolk gives a partner who works for the force paid time off to attend up to two antenatal appointments. Partners elsewhere have a statutory right to unpaid time off for up to two appointments if they are employees. See the police parental leave pay guide.
Pregnancy-related sickness
Sickness caused by the pregnancy, including hyperemesis, is protected. Under section 18 of the Equality Act 2010, treating you unfavourably because of an illness suffered as a result of the pregnancy during the protected period is discrimination, so it should not push you towards an attendance warning or unsatisfactory performance procedures.
Two timing rules matter. In the four weeks before your expected week of childbirth, a pregnancy-related absence starts your SMP automatically the next day. For officers it does not start police maternity leave or pay: those still begin on the date you chose. And once police maternity leave has started, you are not entitled to sick leave during it (Annex R paragraph 10). The full rules, with examples, are in pregnancy-related sickness and the 4-week rule.
The Federation warns that being signed off sick “may not be in your best interests” if adjusting your work would keep you well at work, because sick pay rules can bite later. The risk assessment is the first tool, not sick leave.
Protection from discrimination and detriment
Section 42 of the Equality Act 2010 treats holding the office of constable as employment by the chief officer for the work part of the Act. So section 18 applies to you: it is discrimination to treat you unfavourably because of the pregnancy or an illness caused by it during the protected period, or because you take, have taken or want to take maternity leave. No comparison with anyone else is needed.
- The protected period runs from the start of the pregnancy to the end of your maternity leave, or your return if earlier. Section 18 also covers equivalent maternity leave under a statutory or contractual scheme, which fits police maternity leave.
- Pay rises during leave. The maternity equality clause (sections 72 to 76) applies to women who hold a public office, so pay rises during the protected period must be reflected in your maternity-related pay.
- Examples to watch for: being refused a course, a posting or a promotion process because you are pregnant; criticism of time off for appointments; adjustments recorded against you; not being told about vacancies or promotion processes while you are on leave (national guidance says failing to send these “may constitute a detriment”).
- The ERA route is closed. The pregnancy detriment right in section 47C of the Employment Rights Act 1996 does not apply to police service (section 200), so officers rely on the Equality Act.
Before an Equality Act claim to an employment tribunal you must normally contact Acas for early conciliation within three months less one day of the act complained of. Talk to your Federation representative straight away, keep notes and copies, and use your force’s grievance route in parallel, not instead.
For progression during leave, including increments and acting rank, see promotion, increments and acting rank during maternity.
Leave and pay in one table
The pay side is covered in depth in police maternity pay explained. The key rules for officers, from Annex R and Annex L, against the statutory scheme for police staff:
| Police officers | Police staff (statutory scheme) | |
|---|---|---|
| When to tell | As soon as reasonably practicable after you know the due date (Annex R para 5) | By the end of the 15th week before the expected week (reg 4) |
| Earliest leave start | 6 months before the due date | 11th week before the expected week (some force schemes allow earlier) |
| Latest leave start | The due date (Annex R para 7) | No fixed date; leave starts the day after the birth |
| Length | Up to 15 months, ending no later than 12 months after the due date | 52 weeks (26 ordinary plus 26 additional) |
| Occupational pay | 26 weeks’ full pay with 63 weeks’ service, or full pay to week 21 and half pay weeks 22 to 31 | Force scheme (GMP: 26 weeks’ full pay with 63 weeks’ service) |
| SMP | 39 weeks: 90% of average earnings for 6 weeks, then £194.32 a week or 90% if lower | Same |
| Sickness or birth before your start date | SMP starts automatically; police maternity leave and pay still start on your chosen date | Leave and SMP both start automatically |
| Notice to change dates or return early | 21 days | 28 days to change a start date; 8 weeks to return early |
| KIT days | Up to 10 (Annex R Part 3) | Up to 10 (reg 12A) |
Since 4 January 2021 (Home Office Circular 003/2020) officers with 63 weeks’ continuous service at the start of the expected week of childbirth get 26 weeks’ full pay, with SMP paid inside it. Older guidance and some calculators still show 18 weeks of full pay followed by half pay. SMP then runs to week 39: £194.32 a week from April 2026, or 90% of your average earnings if lower. Annex L itself has no return-to-work condition, but force policies and Federation guidance commonly say you must go back for about a month or repay the occupational part: see repaying maternity pay if you do not return.
For an officer due on 14 April 2027 who starts leave on Sunday 11 April, that means full pay from 11 April 2027 to 9 October 2027, SMP only to 8 January 2028, then unpaid leave to 13 April 2028 at the latest. Overtime and allowances paid in the SMP earnings window raise the first six weeks of SMP: see overtime and the SMP earnings window. To put pounds on each phase, use the free maternity pay calculator.
Annual leave
The first 52 weeks of police maternity leave count as relevant service for annual leave (Annex R paragraph 12), so you keep building leave and bank holidays as if you were at work. The Federation’s advice:
- Take annual leave before your maternity leave starts or after it ends. You can also take it in a break between two blocks of maternity leave.
- Avoid taking annual leave or going back to work (other than a KIT day) during your SMP period. Doing so ends your SMP and it does not restart.
- If you cannot take all your leave in the leave year because of maternity leave, you should be allowed to carry it over to when you return, beyond the usual five-day carry-over.
Your pension during maternity leave
In the 2015 police pension scheme, paid maternity leave, periods on statutory pay and the first 26 weeks of unpaid maternity leave are treated as “assumed pay”: you build pension as if you were on your normal pensionable pay (Police Pensions Regulations 2015, regulation 34). For police officers the unpaid weeks usually start after week 39, so they fall outside that, and you can buy them back. How this works, and what it costs, is in pension impact of maternity and buying back unpaid leave.
Coming back: breastfeeding, flexible working and KIT days
Keeping in touch days
You can work up to 10 keeping in touch days during police maternity leave, by agreement, without ending your leave (Annex R Part 3). For officers a KIT day is paid at the hourly rate set in Annex R, does not reduce your SMP for that week, and does not use up a week of police maternity pay. Use them for training, a team day or a return-to-work meeting. See KIT days explained.
Notice of your return
To come back before the end of your maternity period, give your force not less than 21 days’ notice (Annex R paragraph 8). You can revoke it and give a new one. National guidance recommends a return-to-work meeting around the mid-point of your leave, and a phased return on full pay where reasonably necessary, which it describes as best practice.
Breastfeeding
- Risk assessment. If you are breastfeeding, or within six months of the birth, you are still a new or expectant mother, so the risk assessment applies to your return, and the NPCC says it is needed for any return including KIT days and court.
- Somewhere to rest. Workplace regulations require suitable facilities for a nursing mother to rest. HSE says the area should be hygienic and private, include somewhere to lie down if needed and somewhere to store milk, and that toilets are not suitable.
- Room and fridge. The 2026 NPCC breastfeeding chapter asks for a lockable private room with power points and a dedicated fridge.
- Time. Norfolk gives up to one hour of paid time per working day on top of normal breaks. The NPCC suggests adjusted shifts while breastfeeding, because nights and long shifts can disrupt supply.
- No end date. The Federation says there is no requirement to stop breastfeeding at any point and forces should support you for as long as you choose.
Part-time and flexible working
Part-time service for officers is under regulation 5 of the Police Regulations 2003: the chief officer may appoint officers to part-time service, and a full-time officer cannot be made part-time without consent. National NPCC guidance says officers have a statutory right to request flexible working and that a refusal must be objectively justified; a refusal that disproportionately affects women may be indirect sex discrimination unless justified. Apply early so the arrangement is ready for your first day back. If your shift pattern itself is the problem, see can police change my shift.
Back to operational duties
Expect refresher personal safety training and a fitness test before full operational duties, with time to prepare. Officers returning to firearms or Taser roles may have specific routes back (a 2021 College of Policing article describes the Met’s support programme for armed officers returning from maternity leave). Ask about your role before you return.
Police staff: what is different
Police staff, including PCSOs, detention officers and call handlers, are employees. The health and safety rules and the Equality Act apply in the same way, but leave, notice and time off come from employment law and your force’s staff scheme.
| Police staff | Police officers | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Employee with a contract of employment | Office holder under Police Regulations |
| Notice of pregnancy | By the end of the 15th week before the expected week | As soon as reasonably practicable |
| Antenatal time off | Paid time off as of right (ERA 1996 s.55) | Not to be unreasonably refused special leave (reg 33(6)) |
| Maternity leave | 52 weeks statutory, more under some force schemes | Up to 15 months |
| Compulsory leave | 2 weeks from the birth (MPL Regs reg 8) | Federation guide: no recall in the first two weeks |
| Flexible working | Statutory right to request | Part-time by agreement (reg 5) |
| Pension | Local Government Pension Scheme | Police pension schemes |
| Help | UNISON, GMB, Unite or your staff association | Police Federation (constable to chief inspector) or the Superintendents’ Association |
Occupational maternity pay for staff varies by force. Greater Manchester Police, for example, pays staff with 63 weeks’ service full pay for 26 weeks including SMP; other forces may differ, so check your own policy. More on staff terms: police staff and officers compared, UNISON, GMB and Unite for police staff and the LGPS and police pensions. The timeline planner has a staff setting.
Scenarios
Response officer, nights in the pattern
Sam is a response constable due on 14 April 2027. She tells her sergeant by email in October. The risk assessment takes her off PPST, arrests and custody, and she moves to a crime desk on the same shift. In January her midwife certifies she should not work nights, so she moves to days. Her full pay continues. Because she gave notice in writing, the force had a duty to act, and because the change was for her safety, it does not touch her pay or progression. Her SMP qualifying week is 27 December 2026 to 2 January 2027.
Starting leave early
Priya wants to start police maternity leave on 1 January 2027, about 15 weeks before her due date. Officers can start any day from six months before the due date, so this is allowed. Her 26 weeks of full pay run from 1 January 2027 to 1 July 2027. SMP cannot start until 24 January 2027, the 11th week before her expected week, so it runs to 23 October 2027. Her leave can last until 31 March 2028 at the latest, 15 months after it started.
Just short of 63 weeks
Jo joined on 26 January 2026 and is due on 14 April 2027. At the start of her expected week she has about 62 weeks’ service, one short of the 63 in Annex L, so she gets no police maternity pay. She does qualify for SMP (26 weeks into the qualifying week), so she gets 39 weeks of SMP. Because Annex L lets the force fix the day its weeks start, she asks HR to check the count.
Breastfeeding on return
Lee returns to neighbourhood duties at nine months and is still breastfeeding. Her return-to-work risk assessment covers body armour fit, shift length and breaks to express milk. The force provides a private lockable room with a fridge, not a toilet. Because she is breastfeeding, the new or expectant mother rules still apply to her.
Police staff call handler
Alex is a call handler (police staff) due on 14 April 2027. As an employee she must tell her employer by 2 January 2027 and can start statutory leave from 24 January 2027. Her 52 weeks end on 8 April 2028. Her occupational maternity pay depends on her force’s staff scheme.
Names are illustrative. Dates are worked out by the same engine as the planner.
Myths
- “Officers must tell the force by the 15th week before the due date.” That is the rule for employees, including police staff. Officers must tell their force as soon as reasonably practicable; the 15th week is the SMP qualifying week.
- “Pregnant officers go straight onto light duties.” What changes depends on an individual risk assessment. Some activities, such as PPST, usually stop at once; others may continue with adjustments.
- “Restricted because of pregnancy means a pay cut.” Pregnancy and breastfeeding are excluded from the limited duties rules, and national guidance says alternative duties must not reduce pay or status.
- “I have to stop nights.” Only if the risk assessment says so or a doctor or midwife certifies it.
- “Officers get 18 weeks’ full pay.” That changed on 4 January 2021. It is 26 weeks with 63 weeks’ service.
- “If I go off sick near the end, my maternity leave starts.” For officers, it starts your SMP, not your police maternity leave or pay.
- “Employment law does not protect officers.” Much of it does not, but the Equality Act and health and safety law do, and Police Regulations give equivalent leave and pay rights.
Checklist
- Tell your line manager in writing, and keep a copy of the email.
- Ask for the pregnancy risk assessment, a copy of it and dates for reviews.
- Ask which duties stop now (PPST, confrontational work, custody, public order) and what you will do instead.
- Check your pay and allowances are unchanged apart from overtime and similar task payments.
- Ask stores for maternity uniform and for the PPE review to be written into the assessment.
- Agree how antenatal appointments will be recorded as special leave.
- If you work nights, ask your midwife or GP whether you need a certificate.
- Get your MATB1 from about 20 weeks before the due date and send it to HR.
- Work out your dates with the planner: SMP qualifying week, earnings window, leave start.
- Give SMP notice at least 28 days before it starts; give 21 days’ notice of any change to your leave dates.
- Plan annual leave for before or after maternity leave, not inside the SMP period.
- Decide on full pay for 26 weeks or the half-pay option, and tell payroll.
- Agree how you will be kept informed about vacancies and promotion processes while on leave.
- Arrange a mid-leave meeting about your return, KIT days and any part-time request.
- Before you return, ask for the return-to-work risk assessment and breastfeeding arrangements.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
This guide covers England and Wales. Police Scotland and PSNI officers have their own regulations and determinations, and Police Scotland has its own family policies. The health and safety and Equality Act points apply across Great Britain, and the SMP rules apply across the UK, but check leave and pay rules with your own force and staff association.
Support
Pregnancy, birth and the return to shift work are hard, and perinatal mental health problems are common. National police guidance now includes mental health and wellbeing in the pregnancy risk assessment. Help you can use, none of which is connected to PolicePay:
- Your midwife, health visitor or GP for health and perinatal mental health.
- The Police Federation (officers, constable to chief inspector) or UNISON and other staff unions for police staff, for advice on your rights at work.
- Oscar Kilo, the national police wellbeing service, and Police Care UK, for wellbeing support.
- Your force’s staff networks, such as women’s networks and parent support groups.
- Samaritans on 116 123, any time.
More services are listed in our police mental health support directory.
Not verified
We searched for these on 14 October 2026 and could not confirm them from an official source. Ask your force or Federation representative.
- A current consolidated Annex R. The Part 1 maternity leave text we quote is from the Home Office determinations document (in force from 5 October 2008). We found no later change to it, but there is no official consolidated version online.
- The determination behind regulation 33(6) on antenatal special leave. We describe the right from the regulation and force policies.
- A statutory right to request flexible working for officers. The NPCC guidance says officers have one. The employee right in section 80F of the Employment Rights Act 1996 is for employees with a contract of employment, and we could not find the provision that gives officers the same right.
- A compulsory two weeks of leave after the birth for officers. The Federation’s guide treats the first two weeks as a period with no recall, but the statutory compulsory leave rule is for employees. We found no equivalent in Annex R.
- PAVA, CS spray, Taser carriage and firearms duties during pregnancy. We found no national or published force rule specific to pregnancy. Some forces’ policies could not be read.
- Maternity body armour. We found no national rule and no force policy saying pregnant officers do not have to wear armour, and no evidence of a standard maternity armour product.
- Response driving and custody beyond the general references to front-line work, detainee contact and custody suites.
- Whether the NPCC 2026 chapter is published on the NPCC’s own site. We read it as hosted by the British Association for Women in Policing.
- Whether the Annex EE 8% deduction has been amended since 2015. It does not apply to pregnancy-related restrictions either way.
Your dates, worked out
Enter your due date to see the rules on this page as dates: notice, leave window, SMP qualifying week and payslips, risk assessment reviews, pay phases, KIT days and your latest return. Officer and staff settings. Free, nothing stored, with a calendar file.
Open the pregnancy timeline plannerFrequently asked questions
When should a pregnant police officer tell her force?
As soon as you reasonably can. Annex R to the Police Regulations 2003 says you must notify your pregnancy, the expected date of birth and your planned leave start as soon as reasonably practicable after you know the due date. There is no fixed week for officers. Tell your line manager in writing, because your force's duty to change your work for your health and safety only starts once it has written notice.
When should a pregnant police officer go on light duties?
There is no set week. What changes, and when, is decided by an individual risk assessment once you have told your force in writing, and it should be reviewed as the pregnancy progresses (national police guidance suggests at least every two months). Many forces remove personal safety training and confrontational work as soon as you declare the pregnancy. The correct term is adjusted or alternative duties, not light duties, and they must not reduce your status or pay.
Do pregnant police officers have to stop front-line duties?
Not automatically. National NPCC guidance says front-line work and contact with detainees are high risk, and you may be offered a temporary alternative role, but you have the right to remain in your role if you choose, with adjustments and adequate risk control. Some activities, such as personal safety training, public order and confrontational work, are usually removed altogether.
Do pregnant officers wear body armour?
We found no national rule. National guidance says PPE must be reviewed and must be safe and comfortable as the pregnancy progresses. If armour no longer fits safely, the usual answer is to change your duties so you do not need it, not to wear unsuitable kit. Ask your force about maternity uniform: several forces supply it through stores.
Is there a police maternity uniform?
Many forces provide maternity uniform through their stores, for example Norfolk and Greater Manchester Police, and the Police Federation supports specially designed maternity uniform. Where nothing suitable is available, Norfolk reimburses suitable office clothing. Ask your stores or uniform supplies team.
Will adjusted duties because of pregnancy cut my pay?
No. The Home Office limited duties guidance excludes officers who are pregnant or breastfeeding, so the 8% adjusted duties pay reduction in Annex EE does not apply to restrictions caused by pregnancy or breastfeeding. You keep basic pay and expense-type allowances. The Federation notes you do not get payments tied to tasks you no longer do, such as overtime you are not working.
Do police officers get paid time off for antenatal appointments?
Officers have the right not to be unreasonably refused special leave from duty to keep antenatal appointments (Police Regulations 2003, regulation 33(6)). Force policies, such as Norfolk's, describe this as reasonable paid time off, including scans, midwife appointments and parentcraft classes. The employee right in section 55 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 does not apply to officers.
Can I keep working nights while pregnant?
Yes, unless your risk assessment says otherwise or a doctor or midwife certifies that you should not work nights. With a certificate, your force must offer suitable day work or, if it cannot, suspend you from that work (Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 17).
Can pregnancy-related sickness count against me?
Treating you unfavourably because of an illness caused by your pregnancy during the protected period is pregnancy discrimination under section 18 of the Equality Act 2010, which covers officers through section 42. Sickness in the four weeks before your expected week starts your SMP automatically, but not your police maternity leave.
Am I protected from discrimination as an officer if I am not an employee?
Yes. Section 42 of the Equality Act 2010 treats holding the office of constable as employment by the chief officer for the work provisions. Section 18 protects you from unfavourable treatment because of the pregnancy, a pregnancy-related illness or maternity leave, from the start of the pregnancy to the end of your maternity leave or your return.
Do I build annual leave on police maternity leave?
Yes. Annex R says the first 52 weeks of maternity leave count as relevant service for annual leave. You can take annual leave before or after maternity leave. Taking annual leave in the middle of your SMP period stops your SMP for good, so plan it for before or after.
What changes when I come back while breastfeeding?
You still count as a new or expectant mother, so your force must review the risk assessment, and it must provide somewhere suitable to rest. National police guidance asks for a private lockable room with a fridge (not a toilet), breaks to express milk and a review of body armour fit. Norfolk gives up to an hour of paid time a day on top of normal breaks.
Can I go part-time after maternity leave as an officer?
Part-time service for officers is by agreement with the chief officer under regulation 5 of the Police Regulations 2003. National NPCC guidance says officers have a right to request flexible working and that any refusal must be objectively justified. Apply early, ideally at a mid-leave meeting, so it is in place for your return.
What is different for police staff?
Police staff are employees. They must tell their employer by the end of the 15th week before the expected week, get paid antenatal time off as of right, get 52 weeks' statutory leave (often more under force schemes) and have a statutory right to request flexible working. The health and safety and Equality Act protections are the same.
Sources and how we checked them
Every rule on this page was written from the sources below, all accessed on 14 October 2026. Regulations and Home Office determinations come first, then national guidance, the Federation and force policies. Force policies are examples of practice, not rules for every force. Spotted something out of date? See our corrections policy.
- Police Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/527), regulation 33 : Reg 33(6) special leave for antenatal care; reg 33(7) maternity leave by Home Office determination. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Home Office determinations under the Police Regulations 2003 (Annex R, maternity leave and KIT days) : Annex R Part 1 paras 1 to 12 (from 5 October 2008) and Part 3 para 29. No official consolidated current version found; see Not verified. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Home Office Circular 003/2020, Annex L (maternity pay) : 26 weeks, 63 weeks at the beginning of the EWC, half-pay option, SMP offset; in force 4 January 2021. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Regulations 2003, regulation 5 (part-time service) : Part-time appointment by the chief officer; return to full time. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Home Office, Annex EE determination (limited duties and the X-factor deployment component) : Recuperative, adjusted and management restricted duties; 8% reduction after review. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Home Office, Limited Duties Guidance v6.3 (1 May 2015) : Para 28: pregnancy and breastfeeding excluded from limited duties. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, section 51A : Constables treated as employees of the chief officer for Part I. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulations 1, 16, 17 and 18 : New or expectant mothers; alter conditions or hours, or suspend; night work certificate; written notice. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992, regulation 25(4) : Suitable rest facilities for pregnant women and nursing mothers. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- HSE, Protecting pregnant workers and new mothers : Individual risk assessment on written notice; review as the pregnancy progresses; rest and breastfeeding facilities. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Equality Act 2010, sections 18 and 42 : Pregnancy and maternity discrimination at work; s.42 treats the office of constable as employment. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Equality Act 2010, section 72 (maternity equality clause) : Applies to a woman who holds a personal or public office. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 200 : Disapplies ss.47C and 50 to 57B and Parts VII and VIII for police service. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 55 : Employees' paid time off for antenatal care (police staff). Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/3312) : Employees: notice, start, automatic start, 26 + 26 weeks, compulsory leave, early return, KIT days. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992, sections 164 and 171 : SMP conditions; office holders count as employees for SMP. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Statutory Maternity Pay (General) Regulations 1986, regulations 2 and 21 : The 4-week rule and the relevant period. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- GOV.UK, Rates and thresholds for employers 2026 to 2027 : SMP £194.32 a week; lower earnings limit £129. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Pensions Regulations 2015, regulation 34 : Assumed pay during paid maternity leave, statutory pay and the first 26 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- NPCC Family Support guidance 2026, Chapter 4: Pregnancy, Maternity, Paternity and New and Expectant Parents : Office holder status; reviews at least every two months; alternative duties must not reduce status or pay; right to remain in role; risk assessment template. Hosted by BAWP. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- NPCC Family Support guidance, Breastfeeding chapter (May 2026) : Private lockable room, fridge, adjusted shifts, PPE review, Chester treadmill test. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- PNB Circular 10/5, Guidance on managing maternity and related issues (2010) : No designated roles without a specific risk assessment; nights and shifts allowed unless assessed otherwise. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Federation of England and Wales, Maternity Guide for Police Officers (2022) : Office holder status, pay on adjusted duties, police maternity leave and SMP timing, KIT days, recall, annual leave. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Police Federation, Uniform and Equipment Policy : Supports maternity uniform for pregnant officers. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Norfolk Constabulary, Maternity Leave (Police Officers) Policy v1.6 (June 2026) : Written notice, paid antenatal time off, monthly reviews, maternity uniform, breastfeeding breaks. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Greater Manchester Police, Maternity Policy v28 (April 2025) : Officer and staff schemes; maternity clothing from stores. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Thames Valley Police, Public and Personal Safety Training Policy (May 2026) : Para 4.9 no PPST once pregnancy declared; para 10.12 up to three months to prepare for the fitness test after maternity leave. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Surrey and Sussex, Public and Personal Safety Training and Equipment Policy 586 : Not required to attend training until safe; Taser policy 1157 on reaccreditation after maternity leave. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- College of Policing, Supporting mothers returning to work (2 December 2021) : The Met's maternity support programme for authorised firearms officers returning to armed duties. Accessed 14 October 2026.
- Employment Rights Act 1996, section 57ZE : Unpaid time off for a partner to accompany to up to two antenatal appointments (employees). Accessed 14 October 2026.
- College of Policing, APP Public and personal safety training: senior leaders : Force policy should cover officers unable to train because of pregnancy or breastfeeding. Accessed 14 October 2026.
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Disclaimer
PolicePay.co.uk is an independent reference site. It is not affiliated with any police force, the Home Office, the NPCC, the College of Policing, the Police Federation or UNISON. This page is general information for England and Wales, not legal, medical or financial advice, and cannot take account of your circumstances. Your force’s policy, your risk assessment and your medical advisers decide what happens in your case. Speak to your Federation representative or union, your HR team and your midwife or GP. Details are as checked on 14 October 2026.