Can I lose my job?

I have just found out that we are 5 weeks pregnant, earlier than anticipated. I rather foolishly didn't check on maternity leave policy prior to falling pregnant. I need to have had 12 months continuous service to be eligible for paid leave and that would be 25/5/10, baby is due 20/4/10 meaning I will fall shy by at least a month. I contacted HR in the hope that they would be able to assist, they have said that I have no entitlements and that I may not even be entitled to unpaid leave. What would happen in this instance, would they be able to fire me?

I am so upset, I left my old job 6 weeks ago where I had 14 weeks paid maternity and 6 weeks accrued annual leave. This wasn't supposed to happen so soon!!

I am ecstatic at being pregnant and sure this is just a small ripple in the waves, money is by no means everything, but it certainly helps!

Any advice much appreciated.

They can't fire you but they don't have to hold your job for you - so if you take extended leave and they get someone in to replace you there is a good chance you might have to do another type of role or none at all....

I would chat to them and try and work something out ...

Could you take annual leave until your 12 months and then start maternity leave?

I was in a similar situation when I fell pregnant with my first, I had just changed jobs. My old one had paid maternity, my new one did not. Thankfully they would have given me maternity leave held my job for me, but were unwilling to offer part-time, so I chose to resign. I found resigning meant there was a weight lifted off me, as I did not want to be stressing my whole time on maternity leave about whether to go back or not. I did get my job offered back to me as my replacement quit, but once again they were not willing to offer part-time.

So in your case, there is no legal requirement to keep your job open or offer any paid maternity leave. I would probably not push the leave thing just yet, you are getting to know your new job and they are getting to know you. You might find you are happy to never go back once you do go on leave or it may be that you do a great job and they will do what they can to keep you. At DH's work that just happened, a new staff member fell pregnant too early to receive anything, the head of the Dept wanted to keep her so ordered HR to pay her maternity leave and hold her job.

Hope it all works out for the best for you.