Few work conversations make women business owners more anxious than this one. Yet how to tell clients about maternity leave is less about damage limitation and more about leadership: handled well, the announcement shows clients you are organised, honest and thinking about their interests as well as your own. Whether you are a freelancer, contractor or company director, a planned conversation protects your income, your reputation and the goodwill you have spent years building.
Know Your Rights and Plan Ahead
Before you decide when and how to tell clients, get clear on your own position. In the UK, employees must tell their employer three things: that they are pregnant, when the baby is due and when they want their maternity leave to start. The deadline is at least 15 weeks before the beginning of the week the baby is due, and the employer must then confirm the start date and return date in writing within 28 days. GOV.UK guidance on claiming maternity pay and leave sets this out.
To qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay, you also need 26 weeks’ continuous employment with that employer by the end of the 15th week before your due date, plus average weekly earnings of at least £125. SMP runs for 39 weeks: six weeks at 90 per cent of your average earnings, then 33 weeks at £187.18 a week (2025/26) or 90 per cent of your earnings if that is lower.
If you are self-employed, you have no statutory maternity leave or pay. However, you could qualify for Maternity Allowance: up to £187.18 a week (2025/26), or 90 per cent of your average earnings if lower, for up to 39 weeks. To be eligible, you must have been self-employed for at least 26 weeks within the 66 weeks before the week your baby is due, and earned at least £30 a week in any 13 of those weeks. GOV.UK eligibility rules give the full detail.
When to Tell Clients: Timing Matters
The earlier you inform key clients, the better, provided you have a plan to show them. Many freelancers share the news in their second trimester: insurance broker Caunce O’Hara, which specialises in cover for the self-employed, suggests telling clients around four to five months into pregnancy, leaving time to arrange cover or phase out major commitments.
Give notice of your leave start date as soon as you can. This lets clients adjust schedules and sets fair expectations. Employees face a legal deadline of 15 weeks before the due week, with at least 28 days’ notice if plans change. No law obliges you to give clients the same notice, but they deserve similar courtesy.
What to Say: Structuring Your Message
When you are ready to communicate, by email, call or meeting, use a structure that balances honesty, clarity and professionalism:
- Begin with gratitude: thank them for the working relationship.
- Share your maternity leave dates: when you will stop working and when you aim to return, if known.
- Explain what will change: who will cover, what services you will pause or scale back.
- Set communication expectations: response time, emergencies and status updates.
- Invite questions or feedback: make space for clients to raise concerns.
Sample wording: “I will be stepping away from client work from 1 March to 30 June for maternity leave. During this period, [Colleague/Substitute] will handle [tasks]. I will reply to urgent issues within 48 hours, and I am sharing this plan now so you know exactly what to expect.” Adapt the wording to match your voice and the realities of each client relationship.
Handling Logistics: Cover, Payments and Promises
A solid behind-the-scenes plan supports a smoother transition and maintains client trust. Work these out before you break the news:
- Cover or substitute: hire a temporary support person or delegate to trusted colleagues. If you work solo, line up reliable freelancers you can call in. Businesses that arrange cover reassure clients their work will not suffer.
- Manage project timelines: wrap up time-sensitive work before leave, delay new projects or adjust deadlines.
- Financial planning: for self-employed founders, saving ahead and reducing fixed outgoings helps; some reduce their client load in the months before leave.
- Payment terms: be clear about what is paid in advance, which invoices you will issue before leave, and what happens during your absence.
Communicating Clearly: Words and Tone
Your tone should be confident, honest and professional. You are sharing good news, not apologising for it. A few tips:
- Use simple, direct language like “maternity leave” rather than euphemisms. It avoids misunderstanding.
- Customise the message per client. Long-term clients deserve more detail; one-off clients may just need the essential dates and cover plan.
- If your dates shift after you have announced them, say so promptly. A corrected plan lands far better than unexplained silence.
After the Announcement: Staying Professional Through Leave and Return
How you conduct yourself once you have told clients helps preserve long-term relationships.
- Set boundaries: decide how much you will check in, if at all. Many self-employed women arrange a few “checking-in” days but otherwise step back fully.
- Tell clients and your substitute exactly who handles what: communication breaks down when no one knows who to contact. Specify who manages emergencies or urgent requests.
- Plan your return: when you are ready to resume work, communicate that clearly. Take back small tasks first or phase clients back in.
Special Considerations If You Are Self-Employed
If you run your own business, “maternity leave” does not function in the statutory sense. Even so, clients’ expectations still matter.
- You have no statutory right to maternity leave or pay as a sole trader, although you may qualify for Maternity Allowance. GOV.UK employment status guidance confirms that self-employed people have far fewer employment rights than employees.
- Your business structure can change this. A limited company director who pays herself a salary through PAYE is an employee of her own company and can usually claim Statutory Maternity Pay from it. If you are weighing up structures, our guide to sole trader vs limited company explains the trade-offs.
- Your clients are not legally your employer, so you decide when to inform them. Many freelancers say they told clients after their 20-week scan, once they had a solid plan in place.
- Expect variation: some clients will praise your honesty; others may question the timing. Transparency usually builds more trust than trying to hide it.
What Could Go Wrong and How to Avoid It
Even a well-prepared message can meet complications. Spot these risks and plan around them:
- Clients abandoning ship: be proactive with big clients; tell them early and show the continuity plan.
- Scope creep before leave: do not accept big jobs you cannot finish. Be strict with your capacity in the run-up.
- No return plan: leaving clients uncertain about your return breeds anxiety on both sides. You do not have to commit to everything yet, but offering a rough timeline helps enormously.
- Burnout from trying to stay “on top”: planning and delegating early saves headaches. It is not about perfection; it is about realistic expectations and boundaries.
Telling clients about your maternity leave is not asking permission. It is a professional courtesy that shows you respect both your family and your commitments, and it protects the business, income and goodwill you have built.
If you want detail on what you are legally entitled to, including as a sole trader, see our guide to Maternity Allowance for the Self-Employed: 2026/27 Guide. For help staying resilient through periods of change, read Founder burnout UK: why women are hit harder and what helps.
