The term parental allowance is often interchangeable with maternity leave and is something that all female employees are entitled to when they give birth. If you are employed and pregnant, you are entitled to 52 weeks (that’s 1 year) of parental allowance, no matter how long you've worked for your employer.
This 52 weeks leave is made up of 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave and 26 weeks of additional maternity leave.
You have a range of rights during this period and can also request that your employer provides flexible working arrangements if you decide to return to work at the end of your leave.