Our annual leave year runs from January to December. I get 31 days annual leave per year. I am due to start maternity leave in April. It seems likely that I will take no holidays up until april because of the amount of work I need to do in the next 11 weeks. In fact I was stopped from doing a course for 2 days because of the time that would be lost in terms of work hours in the run up to maternity leave so I doubt any leave is on the cards. My paid maternity leave will take me up to halloween and then I plan on taking unpaid leave. Seeing as how I won't be returning to work until 2009 does my employer have to let me take all my 2008 leave in 2009 therefore leaving me with 62 days holidays for 2009? Also can they make me take it in one large block or is it up to me how I take it? I am required to take unpaid leave before I can take annual leave.