New America reports that when both Mom and Dad get the same amount of maternity and paternity leave, they're more likely to split childcare and household responsibilities and keep work hours. But when mom is the only one with access to paid family leave, that makes her family more likely to follow traditional gender roles regarding domestic duties and child-rearing. To increase the likelihood you'll return to work , you'll want to allot nine months to one year of paid family leave.
Back in February, we reported a similar number—six months to one year of maternity leave—if your priority is career progress. Though these suggestions are helpful to those who have to plan their maternity leave on their own, it's something companies and state and federal governments should be taking into account too when deciding how much maternity, paternity or paid parental leave they give their workers or residents.
Skip to main content. Follow us email facebook twitter pinterest instagram youTube rss. You may want to overestimate how much leave you want, in case you end up needing more than you think.
Giving birth can be unpredictable. You don't know what your health or the baby's health will be like immediately after delivery. If your newborn ends up in the intensive care unit, the last thing you want to be thinking about is calling your boss to request more leave. This question is complicated to answer for a number of reasons, so be sure to give yourself a lot of time to consider. It's easy to say you'll be back as soon as you can because you haven't met your baby yet. Once you hold your perfect newborn, you might feel that nothing else matters.
So give yourself plenty of time to make the best decision for you and your family. Remember, you always have a choice. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Maternity leave, now often called parental or family leave, is the time a mother or father takes off from work for the birth or adoption of a child.
Actual paid "maternity leave" — while the norm in almost all countries — is unusual in the United States, although some enlightened companies do offer new parents paid time off, up to six weeks in some cases. Most likely, you'll use a combination of short-term disability STD , sick leave, vacation, personal days, and unpaid family leave during your time away from work. The picture did improve in with the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act FMLA , which entitles most workers to up to 12 weeks of job-protected medical leave for birth or adoption.
However, the FMLA doesn't cover those who work for smaller companies and guarantees only unpaid leaves. Which benefits are available to you will depend very much on which state you live in. In , California led the way in enacting paid family leave, and other states such as Washington and New Jersey followed suit. And not all states allow women to take short-term disability leave to cover pregnancy, birth, and postpartum recovery.
Your employer may have policies that dictate the order in which you can take different kinds of leave. In any case, you'll want to start looking into your options as early as you can during your pregnancy and make sure you have all your paperwork sorted out before the baby arrives.
Short-term disability is meant to cover your salary — or a portion of it — during the time that you're unable to do your job due to illness, injury, or childbirth. Many large employers and unions offer it, as do several states.
It's generally provided automatically to all employees or residents, not as an optional benefit you have to sign up for. If your state provides STD, you may pay a small amount out of each paycheck to cover your share.
If your employer or union provides it, the cost may be covered for you. If none of them provides STD, or if the coverage is insufficient, you can purchase your own policy or additional coverage through an insurance provider for a monthly premium.
Private STD insurance through your employer or a provider will generally pay between 50 and percent of your salary for a certain number of weeks, depending on how many years you've worked for the company. The maximum amount you can receive is usually capped. Six weeks is the standard amount of time covered for pregnancy.
Some plans allow more time if you've had complications or a cesarean delivery, and many also cover bedrest before birth. State STD benefits typically cover half to two-thirds of your salary, and the coverage for pregnancy usually lasts four to six weeks but can last up to 12 weeks.
You may be able to get extended coverage after the birth if you've had a c-section or medical complications, but your doctor must certify this. If both your state and your company offer STD, you may be required to use the full state benefit and have your employer's coverage make up the rest. You'll still end up with the same amount of pay as if you were getting your employer's full benefit, but you'll get it in two checks, one from the state and one from your company's provider. Many programs require that you be out of work for up to a week before you can start to collect disability benefits.
Your employer or your state's program may require you to use up your accrued sick days or vacation days before your disability benefits kick in. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as those days are paid at your full salary. It depends on who's paying the insurance premiums for your coverage. The portion of your salary that you receive from your employer's coverage is taxable, but no income taxes will be taken out of your checks, so you'll end up owing the money in April.
On the other hand, you'll be able to take an extra deduction for having a new dependent, so that may offset the amount. Money you receive from a state disability program is generally not subject to federal or state income taxes. If you pay for the disability insurance yourself, the benefits you receive are also tax-free. Some new moms decide to return to work once their coverage runs out, which is typically after about six weeks.
Of course, some have to return even sooner if they're relying on a state benefit that only pays half of their normal salary and they can't afford to make up the difference.
If you've accrued vacation, personal, or sick days, you may want to use them to extend your leave. Some companies will even allow you to take vacation or sick days that you haven't yet accrued. In some cases, however, you may be asked to reimburse the company for those days if you decide not to return to work after your leave.
You may also be eligible for unpaid leave when your disability runs out. If you choose not to return to work when your STD coverage ends, some states allow you to take a certain amount of time off as unpaid pregnancy leave. California has a particularly generous provision, allowing up to 12 weeks for new parents — not just women.
You won't get paid during this time, but your employer will be required to hold your job for you until you're able to return or until the leave runs out. Your employer may require that you use up your sick days before taking unpaid leave. Start by asking your company's human resources department.
Under the FMLA, many employers are required by federal law to allow their employees both men and women 12 weeks of unpaid leave after the birth or adoption of a child.
At the end of your leave, your employer must allow you to return to your job or a similar job with the same salary, benefits, working conditions, and seniority. About 60 percent of U. You're eligible if you meet both of the following conditions:. There are a few exceptions: Your employer isn't required to keep your job open for you if you're in the highest-paid 10 percent of wage earners at your company and your employer can show that your absence would cause substantial economic harm to the organization.
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