Trying to understand your company's stipulations for maternity leave can be both confusing and frustrating -- which are two things you don’t need any more of when you’re pregnant. Some companies offer paid leave, others unpaid leave, and many now include paternal leave. If you’re a planner, get familiar with your maternity leave benefits before you start working on conception. If you just found out you’re pregnant, get familiar with it now. Know what you can expect from your company well before your newborn arrives. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of maternity leave.
Maternal Leave Laws
Federal maternity leave laws provide new mothers with 12 weeks of leave. Unfortunately, nothing requires those 12 weeks be accompanied by any income. All the law guarantees is that you can take three months off of work following the birth of a child and still have a job afterwards. Many families can’t handle this loss of income. Decide early how long you can handle living only on your partner’s income, and how you’re going to manage the time you can take off. For single moms, this can be an even bigger burden. Alternatively, it may be possible to telecommute or work part-time for a few weeks or months.
Know Your Benefits
Although federal regulations are broad, some companies really do have their employees best interests at heart and offer great pregnancy and maternal leave benefits. If a family is in your future, look for employment at a business with those benefits -- you’ll thank yourself later. If you have no idea what kind of benefits your current position has, make time for a meeting with a HR representative in your company to gain a clear, comprehensive understanding of your organization’s maternity leave.
Use Preexisting Leave Options
In some careers, “scheduling” pregnancy so the estimated due date falls close to any extended periods of vacation or time-off can be a real life saver. For example, women who work in school districts with poor maternal benefits might consider orchestrating conception so delivery coincides with summer vacation. Obviously, this isn’t always possible since not every pregnancy is planned and not all professions offer significant guaranteed vacation time, but if you’re in the position to do so, it’s a great option.
If you’re in a profession that demands your standard 50-weeks a year, don’t waste your personal, vacation, or sick days. Instead, save them all up. This is a way to ensure as much of your maternity leave as possible is paid for even without benefits arranged specifically for maternity leave. Make sure you know what the limitations are when it comes to saving up those days -- most vacation days have to be used in the year they’re allotted, and sick days may only collect over a few years. Don’t save up your PTO for years only to find out it expired.
Short-Term Disability Policies
Whether your company offers paid maternity leave or not, signing up for short-term disability insurance is another way to work outside the maternity system. Even if it doesn’t pay for the whole time, you may have a portion of your maternity leave compensated. Insurance providers like AFLAC specialize in making policies including maternity leave coverage -- provided you wait a predetermined length of time after purchasing the policy before getting pregnant. Make sure to read the fine print carefully before you sign, because not every disability insurance includes “pregnancy” coverage. Other plans that don’t normally include pregnancy insurance might in instances of complications, like preeclampsia or cesarean sections.
