Main changes relating to maternity leave and adoption leave effected by the above are:

• extension of statutory maternity pay (''SMP''), statutory adoption pay and maternity allowance from six to nine months from April 2007;
  
• removing the need to have 26 weeks’ service to qualify for a full 52 weeks maternity leave;
  
• increasing notice of return from maternity or adoption leave from 4 to 8 weeks;
  
• removing the small employer exemption from automatic unfair dismissal if a new mother is not allowed to return to work; and
  
• allowing up to 10 days work during maternity or adoption leave.

The changes came into force on 1st October 2006 and were fully in effect from 1st April 2007. More precisely, they generally apply from 1st October 2006 in relation to employees whose expected week of childbirth begins on or after 1st April 2007 (maternity rules) or in relation to employees with whom a child is expected to be placed for adoption, where the placement is expected to occur on or after 1st April 2007 or where the adopter's child enters Great Britain on or after 1st April 2007 (Maternity and Parental Leave etc. and the Paternity and Adoption Leave (Amendment) Regulations 2006 SI 2006/2014 reg 2).

For main relevant general notes see Maternity/maternity leave/an outline of the right and/or Acts of Parliament etc/Work and Families Act 2006 .