Maternity Leave: Know Your Rights

It’s very possible to be pregnant and still maintain your career. Unfortunately, many women still face discrimination by their employer when they announce their pregnancy. As an expectant mother, you have a number of rights when it comes to maternity leave and your job. It’s important that you know your rights as a woman who is pregnant. This will ensure that you are treated fairly.

No Discrimination

When you are pregnant, your employer does not have the right to discriminate against you. You cannot be discounted for any kind of promotion, bonus, extra vacation time, etc. You should be treated equally with other employees, regardless of gender or pregnancy status. If you are faced with any kind of discrimination, this is when you should contact your human resources representative You can also utilize the services of an attorney if need be. It’s important that you fight for your rights, so don’t allow your company intimidate you in order to return to work faster than you should be.

Time Off

Depending on the company that you work for and the job that you have, there are different maternity offers that you may receive. Maternity leave is your choice, but you must be given the option. That means you don’t have to take the full amount of time that your company provides, but they must provide you with that time if it is something that you want to utilize in order to bond with your child once they are born.

Keep Your Position

While you are away on maternity leave, your company does not have the right to give away  or replace your position. You will be able to return to the same job that you left when you went on maternity leave. Once you return, changes can be made. Those changes cannot be based on the fact that you were gone on maternity leave, but must be based on your performance in the job. 

If you are a pregnant woman who has not yet announced to your employer that you are pregnant, make sure that you go through the appropriate steps. You’ll need to let your boss know and human resources department as well. Be fair and give them plenty of time to plan for your time off. They may want you to train someone to backfill your job while you’re gone.

Please have us in mind when you’re ready for your mom and baby photos!