Pregnancy can be seen as one of the most magical times in one’s life, but for some working women, announcing their pregnancy to their employer can have some caveats. Many women fear that a temporary absence, like maternity leave, could erase all the work they have put in with their company, leaving them to be easily replaced. What is supposed to be a celebrated time in a woman’s life can easily be turned upside down if a company isn’t accommodating.
Someone going on maternity or parental leave can have a major disruption to everyday operations. Work will need to be evenly dispersed amongst team members or a temporary replacement will have to be hired. However, it is not fair to make the woman feel guilty because of her pregnancy. Instead of viewing the impending leave as a disruption, managers should approach it as a brief interlude, making sure that the position remains open and welcomed for her to come back to. Company culture can play a major role in how maternity leave is viewed. Offering phased returns to help ease the transition of coming back to work can have a positive effect on employees, making them feel more ready to return full time at the end of their leave.
In addition, some companies have begun implementing “buddy programs” to returning employees. In this instance, new parents are matched with employees who also have children. In these programs, employees can see first hand how others balance work and family, without having to compromise on one or the other.
The United States currently has no national policy for maternity leave. However, individual states have mandated maternity leave policies on their own, with the law only covering protections for mothers, not fathers. Where there is no law in place, employees can either be provided with leave under the discretion of their employer or through the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) According to the Department of Labor, FMLA provides eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. It is also required that group health benefits be maintained during the leave. FMLA applies to all public agencies, all public and private elementary and secondary schools and companies with 50 or more employees. Employers must provide eligible employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for the following reasons:
To be eligible for FMLA, employees must have worked for their employer for at least 12 months, at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months, and work at a location where the company employs 50 or more employees within 75 miles.
A study by Harvard Business Review, found that lengthy maternity leaves can have negative impacts on working woman. According to the study, the longer women are away from their positions, the more they may be overlooked for promotions and have lower upward mobility in moving into management roles and receiving pay raises.
Prior to a woman leaving for maternity leave, it is up to managers to have conversations with employees to ease the transition. WorkPartners advises the following:
Mackenna Moralez is the associate editor for the facilities market.
