We’ve just bought the business and assets of a company, and its employees have transferred to us under the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006. We’ve only been responsible for these new employees for a short period of time, and now one of them has given notice of maternity leave. Can she take maternity leave already and do we have to pay?

All employees have a statutory right to take maternity leave. They enjoy this right regardless of their pay, hours or how long they’ve worked for their employer. You should make sure that you’ve been given proper notice. You should receive notice of the baby’s due date and when the employee wishes to begin maternity leave, at