Pregnant employees have certain rights relating to antenatal care (ie care received before a child is born). An antenatal appointment is any appointment an employee has which relates to their pregnancy and their child. Throughout a pregnancy, employees will have regular antenatal appointments which may include health checks, ultrasounds, and screening tests. However, antenatal appointments don’t just mean medical appointments but can also include antenatal or parenting classes that have been recommended by a doctor or midwife.
Pregnant employees are entitled to paid time off work to attend such antenatal appointments. Employers must pay this at the employee’s normal rate of pay.