14.—F21[(1) An employee who has taken maternity leave shall, if she so wishes, be entitled in accordance with this section to further leave from her employment, to be known (and referred to in this Act) as "additional maternity leave", for a maximum period of—

(a) F22[16 consecutive weeks] commencing immediately after the end of her maternity leave F23[and, where applicable, any period of transferred paternity leave taken by her], or

(b) F22[16 weeks], all or part of which is postponed in accordance with section 14B, commencing either in accordance with that section or immediately after the end of her maternity leave F23[and, where applicable, any period of transferred paternity leave taken by her],

as may be appropriate.]

(2) An employee shall be entitled to additional maternity leave, whether or not the minimum period of maternity leave has been extended under section 12.

(3) F21[Subject to section 14B, entitlement to additional maternity leave] shall be subject to an employee having notified in writing her employer (or caused her employer to be so notified) in accordance with subsection (4) of her intention to take such leave.

F24[(4) Notification under subsection (3) shall be given either at the same time as the relevant notification under section 9 or not later than four weeks before—

(a) the date which would have been the employee’s expected date of return to work under Part IV if she had not taken the additional maternity leave, or

(b) where the employee takes transferred paternity leave, the date on which the additional maternity leave is, under subsection (1), to commence.]

(5) A notification under this section may be revoked by a further notification in writing given by or on behalf of the employee concerned to her employer not later than four weeks before the date which would have been her expected date of return to work under Part IV if she had not taken the additional maternity leave.

F21[(6) The Minister may by order amend subsection (1) so as to extend the period mentioned in that subsection.]

F25[(7) Where pursuant to section 8, a pregnant employee is entitled to a further period of leave referred to in subsection (1A) of that section, nothing in section 8, 13 or 13A shall operate to prevent the entitlement of the pregnant employee to additional maternity leave under this section.]