Author: MJT
Maternity Leave: Taking Time From Work to Give Birth to, or
Adopt a Child
The time spent by a pregnant woman away from the place of
work before the child is born, or adopted is known as maternity leave.
Sometimes, pregnant women can get paid for the times that they are on maternity
leave while other times they must forego their pay. It varies from country to
country, and from company to company in different countries.
Protection Under Family and Medical Leave Act
In the United States, there is protection for pregnant women
that avail of maternity leave in that the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
allows working moms and dads to take as many as twelve weeks off from their
jobs for the purpose of newborn, or adopted children. This Act may not be
applicable in the case of small companies that do not pay for maternity leave.
The law of the land protects the interests of pregnant women
and they are allowed to take time off from work, be provided with safe
environment as well as are allowed to claim dismissal as being unfair in case
of services being terminated during pregnancy. Ordinary maternity leave extends
up to twenty-two weeks and once the child has been born, the mother should be
allowed to return to her work.
There is also additional maternity leave that extends up to
fifty-two weeks that pregnant women in the United
States are entitled to take, and they may
also claim statutory maternity pay. There are exceptions to some pregnant
mothers including those that are share fisherwomen, women that have normally
been employed outside the US, self-employed women as well as women serving in
the police, armed forces who may however, claim statutory maternity pay.
Pregnant women must also provide their employers with notice
about their impending maternity leave requirement, and this notice should be
given fifteen weeks prior to the baby becoming due, and is best given in
writing. It is also necessary to provide an estimated due date as well as the
expected date from when the maternity leave is to start.
If you are taking statutory maternity leave, and are
availing of twenty-six weeks of ordinary maternity leave, you will get ninety
percent of the salary you were drawing for the first six weeks. In addition, a
pregnant woman need to start as well as end the maternity leave she is taking
on any give date though she needs to take at least two weeks leave prior to
ending of expected confinement as well as take four weeks after the expected
week of confinement.
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