First
Trimester
Research your
state's Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The federal FMLA
entitles employees, whether they give birth or adopt up to 12 weeks
of unpaid time off. Eligible employees are those who have worked for
the company for at least a year and have logged 1,250 hours in the year
prior to the leave.
Research your
employer's maternity-leave benefits. Check your company handbook,
intranet, or contact the human resources deparment. Some companies allow
have paid leave specifically for maternity. Other employers require
you to combine disability leave, with vacation and say days in order
for you to get paid. After paid time is used, then you may have additional
unpaid time. Research your company's policy re: part-time, telecommuting
and flex-time.
Have your husband
check out his company's policy. You may be able to combine
your leave with your husband's to extend the time that one parent is
home taking care of your baby.
Discreetly discuss
the company's policies with friends at work who are moms.
Determine how
much leave you want to take. Consider your family finances:
can you afford to take any unpaid leave? Consider child care options,
and company policy.
Second Trimester
Notify your
supervisor of your pregnancy.
Prepare a written
proposal detailing your plans for the leave.
> How much
time will you take off before and after the birth?
> Will you be entitled to any pay?
> Are you asking for unpaid leave beyond the usual time allotted?
> How accessible would you like to be during your leave time? Do
you plan to check email and voicemail?
> Do you want to phase back to work slowly, using some of your
leave to work part-time for a few weeks?
> Who would you suggest could perform your duties while you are
on leave?
Make an appointment to meet with your supervisor to let her
know that you are pregnant and what your plans are.
Negotiate your
leave and put the final agreement in writing.
Begin looking
into childcare options. Many daycare centers, particularly
in urban areas, have long waiting lists.
Schedule your
annual review for a date prior to your leave if your actual reveiw date
would be while you are on maternity leave.
Third Trimester
Take home valuable
or private personal property.
Take home a
copy of company telephone extensions that you may need while at home.
Activate an
auto-response for your business email address and leave an out-of-office
message on your voicemail.
