The maternity leave policy in the whole world and USA has changed substantially in the last 10 years. Today, Women are actively participating in corporate and work settings. Pregnancy is not an important phase of life for any woman, many women plan their childbirth earlier. But it also involves many concerns for a working woman. Let us know ‘Maternity Leave Policy Template’.
Maternity Leave Policy Template
Maternity leave is an interim absence of women from work or new mothers who require time for therapeutic care, during their pregnancy period. This leave is also applicable in the process of adopting a child.
There are many privileges which are associated with maternity leave in the workplace. Some companies provide paid leave to their female employees which allows them the benefit of taking care of their health.
In this article, we are going to talk about the maternity leave policy template for any startup or small business.
Benefits of maternity leave
The main objective of this policy is to safeguard the laws of the mother which are undergoing their pregnancy phase. In case of a breach of those policies, the law also provides immediate compensation for the employee who is affected.
There are the following benefits of maternity leave:
- No Woman will be forced to work in any company for the next 6 weeks immediately after her delivery or miscarriage.
- Every pregnant woman will be provided with the benefits in terms of paid leaves which is described in the law.
- A Woman will only be entitled to the Maternity policies If she has only worked for that company for a period of a minimum of 160 days before her delivery.
- The utmost number of leaves that women can benefit from is of at least 26 weeks.
- A woman will not be allowed to work for that company which can harm her or her child’s health.
- The policies are applicable the same for a woman who has a miscarriage.
- The law also permits companies to permit women to work from home for the same wages as maternity benefits.
Remuneration and eligibility for maternity leave
Maternity leave is Paid leave for a pregnant woman. As we already mentioned, to get full Maternity pay, Setup should work at least for 60 days for that company in the last 12 months. In Addition to paid leaves, the women also get an additional bonus of $45.30
Procedure to apply for maternity leave
- She needs to give written notice to the reporting Manager which has a request to HR for Maternity leave At least 12 weeks before the date of her delivery.
- She must complete all the prescribed dates stating the date of the expected delivery and the beginning date of maternity leave.
- In some cases, if a certificate of the delivery or pregnancy is requested by the reporting manager, Then she was provided with a copy signed by the physician or from an authentic source.
- She will get the official mail from her reporting manager about the approval of her request where it is clearly stated the expected length of her leave and also the benefits of leave.
- If the labor occurs earlier than the stated date, then they can easily modify details of leave from sources.
- She can contact her hiring manager anytime regarding information and queries.
What are the options available during Maternity leave?
Work-from-home options
According to policy, Women can also work from home once they feel well. If she is in that condition in which she can work and can provide results to that company, She can work from home having the same monetary benefits.
In addition, the company provides her with the facilities for working from home like a cell phone, internet and a computer to work on.
Flexible Schedule
A woman can also work in a flexible environment or schedule the best part-time which cannot affect her health much. After the delivery of the baby, she can also work a few days a week until she is not able to work full-fledged.
Short-term insurance
Short-term insurance benefits and also added to the pregnant women’s Maternity benefits. This will benefit the pregnant woman who is undergoing some health conditions in need of immediate treatment for it. With this insurance, her family is included and their health is going to be considered.
These options are considered during only specific Situations like if that employee is a fresher or is a remote employee for that company.
When will the employee return to work?
When a mother returns after her delivery, There are certain laws in the company act to protect her right to feed her baby. There are certain acts under which a new mother can feed her baby in the workplace under the provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
As HR of the company, they need to provide them with enough break time and a clean environment to feed their baby. The mother will only return to her workplace if that company provides them adequate space and privacy to serve.
Conclusion
For every woman, it is really important to look at the maternity leave policies of any company before joining whether it is paid or unpaid. It will make you clear about your future ventures and the objective of your business.
Maternity leave also provides an option for women to focus on their family and health after their delivery. So it is crucial to adopt every health-related measure to get back to your work. These policies are also important for pregnant women and bring so many options to get paid leave even during their important days.
FAQs
- Maternity leave can extend up to 6 or 9 months.
If that woman is a fresher Company Then she can get up to six months of paid maternity leave but if she is a mother of two or more children then she will only provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave.
- Which country offers the best Maternity policies in the world?
Sweden is known for providing the best Maternity policies to its employees. They offer up to 450 days of maternity leave to their employees during the pregnancy period.
- Do employees get a full salary during their maternity leave?
During this period companies need to pay the full Maternity Benefit in the form of a daily wage. They can also avail of insurance for their family.
- What do most companies pay for maternity leave?
The most common pay for a company is to offer them a full salary for the first six weeks of that leave when the employees take maternity leave. Certain companies also offer 90% of their earnings for the first six weeks.
