Being informed about your company's maternity leave policies and knowing your options is extremely important. To help you navigate through this process, we've put together a list of 20 questions you should ask your HR department before going on maternity leave.
- Does the company offer paid maternity leave? For how long and at what percentage of pay?
- Does the company offer short-term disability (STD)? For how long and at what percentage of pay?
- Does the state offer STD coverage? For how long and at what percentage of pay?
- Do I have to use state STD benefits first, if they're available?
- Can I take additional time off if I have complications and my doctor writes a letter certifying this, or is that time considered part of my maternity leave?
- Does the company's STD coverage and the state's STD coverage take place at the same time?
- How and when do I apply for STD?
- Do I have to pay taxes on STD income?
- Is there a waiting period before I can collect benefits?
- Do I have to use accrued vacation, personal, or sick days before any other kind of leave?
- Do any personal, vacation, or sick days I take run concurrently with any other kinds of leave offered?
- Can I take vacation days that I haven't accrued yet?
- Am I eligible for 12 weeks of unpaid family leave under the FMLA?
- How long will the company keep my job (or a similar one) available to me? Longer than 12 weeks?
- What are my options for after my paid or unpaid leave runs out? Can I work part time? Telecommute? What about flex time?
- Will taking unpaid leave affect my schedule for raises and promotions? How about my seniority?
- Am I responsible for paying my health insurance premiums while I'm on leave?
- Will I still be covered by my life insurance while on leave? If the leave is unpaid, how do I continue to pay for coverage?
- Are any other benefits, like my future vacation time or my pension, affected by my taking a maternity leave?
- Does the company offer any childcare benefits -- on-site daycare, subsidized daycare at another location, a pre-tax dependent-care spending account, and/or pumping facilities if I choose to breastfeed after I return to work?
