This is an exciting time. You are preparing to welcome a child into your family and you know that you will need some free time. While you may be guaranteed to keep your job since you are attached to your toddler, thanks to Family sick leave law (FMLA), paid maternity (or paternity) leave is not guaranteed.
Actually, according to OECDThe United States is the only developed country that does not require paid maternity leave, and among half of the OECD countries that do not offer paid parental leave. But this does not mean that you will be left with nothing – depending on where you work.
Here’s what you need to know about using paid maternity or paternity leave.
State Legislation and Individual Employer Policies
First, while there is no federal requirement for paid maternity leave, there are several states that require certain employers to provide paid family leave, including parental leave. Check state law to find out what is required and if you qualify.
You can also review your company’s paid family leave policies. There are companies in the United States that recognize the importance of providing paid maternity leave.
Mothers, fathers and children benefit from paid parental leave. Women are more likely to stay in the company after the birth of a child, when they are offered maternity leave. When parental leave is part of the equation, men are more likely to be parenting.
With parental leave, whether it be childbirth or adoption, both parents – regardless of their gender identity – can bond and participate in parenting activities.
I recommend that you visit your company’s human resources department to find out what type of paid parental leave is available, how long it lasts, and if you qualify.
Alternatives to paid maternity leave
If your company does not offer paid parental leave, you may need to come up with alternatives that allow you to take time off and still receive some compensation during that time.
Some options for creating your own maternity (or paternity) leave include:
Short-term disability
If you have a short-term disability policy in connection with your work, you may receive 50% to 100% of your salary for a set period of time.
Generally, you won’t be able to claim benefits for more than 6-12 weeks, but this can be a way to get at least some payment after giving birth if your company doesn’t offer paid maternity leave.
On the subject: Do you need short-term disability insurance?
Paid holiday
While using short-term disability only works for the person who is actually giving birth, any parent can use other forms of paid leave to extend paid parental leave. You may be able to explore the paid ones:
- Personal days
- Time relax
- sick leave
Find out what you need to do to get this leave and give your employer the necessary notice to make sure you qualify for those days.
You also need to make sure that you are entitled to some holidays. Some employers simply offer flexible paid leave, no matter what you use it for. However, those that divide it into sick leave and vacation time may not allow you to use paid sick leave unless you are a parent.
Unpaid leave
Planning ahead is important if your company doesn’t officially offer paid maternity or paternity leave. You will need to accumulate your vacation or personal days or make sure you have short term disability insurance. If you are unable to do this job, you can ask about unpaid leave.
The FMLA guarantees a minimum of 12 weeks of unpaid family leave for a new child, so you can at least be reasonably sure that you will get your job back if you qualify. But you will not be paid for vacation time, and you may need to spend vacation days and personal days before the FMLA takes effect.
Save up front if you need to take unpaid leave to survive without pay as long as possible after you bring your baby home.
Related: How to manage your money during an extended absence from work
Work from home
Another option is to work from home. If your work can be done remotely, find out if you can do some remote work.
Maybe you can work from home two or three days a week, or leave work early and work in the evening. A flexible schedule can help you spend time with your child, earn money, and still be part of your work environment.
On the subject: 5 proven extra activities for moms and dads who stay at home
How to Prepare for Maternity (or Paternity) Leave
Making a game plan for parental leave is vital. Let your boss know that you are expecting a baby and the expected due date.
As you begin planning parental leave, there are a few tips you can use to help you through the process:
Work related items for your checklist
Try to stick to a flexible start date: Children rarely come on demand. Even if you sign up for the birth, the baby may still arrive earlier. Discuss a flexible start date with your employer.
Do your best to sort things out in advance: Even if you’re working until a certain date, just in case, try to update your workspace and assignments before the official start date.
Train your fill-in: Do your best to train your temporary replacement well before you leave so that she is ready to intervene even if you leave earlier than expected.
Prepare detailed instructions: During the entire time leading up to parental leave, prepare useful tips and instructions and leave contact information for important clients or others who can help a replacement.
Decide how you want to stay connected: Although you will be on parental leave, you may receive some updates. Maybe you need daily email, or maybe you want to contact the base by phone once a week. Find out what is likely to work for you. While you may not want to do a lot of work, you probably still want to stay up to date so you can get back to it.
Family related items for your checklist
All the following Tips require advance planning. You probably need to prepare throughout your pregnancy by making incremental decisions.
By breaking down these items into manageable chunks and preparing over several months, you can make the most of your time to do as much as you can to smooth the transition into parental leave and get back to work.
save money: You want to save as much money as possible every month until your parental leave. Even if you have paid time off, it can help save money for unexpected expenses or if you only have partial paid time off.
Check with your partner: Check with your partner’s company about paid parental leave. You may want to coordinate your benefits and see if there is a way for both of you to maximize your options.
Get child custody: Before giving birth, it is highly desirable to arrange guardianship.
Get life insurance: If you do not already have a life insurance policy, take out one before the baby is born. It is always a good idea to buy or renew life insurance when you add a new dependent. Whether you are looking for term or lifetime insurance, Polygenius can help you compare offers from different providers to find the plan that’s right for your family. You just need to complete one short online application to get access to multiple options at different prices. Plus, you can get 24/7 live agent support whenever you need it.
Get a life insurance quote with Policygenius or read our full Policygenius review.
On the subject: The real cost of having a baby
Summary
Unfortunately, paid maternity leave is not common among American companies. The Family Leave Law protects your job when you go on vacation, but does not guarantee that you will be paid.
You will likely need to come up with some alternatives, such as taking paid or unpaid leave, to make up for not having paid sick leave.