Maternity Leave Letter

Maternity Leave Letter

Maternity Leave Letter or Maternity Letter is a letter written by a pregnant woman to her employer for leave approval in order to deliver and take care of her baby. Maternity leaves are also taken when you have adopted a baby and are also written to colleagues, co-workers etc. to inform them of the news. It is an employee’s benefit which provides paid or unpaid time off work.

Majority of countries provide more than 10 paid week’s maternity leave. In most countries, paid maternal leave is offered to only loyal employees; who have been working with firm for a certain period of time. When a maternity letter is addressed to the head or the management it is a formal letter and when it is addressed to colleagues, co-workers etc. it is an informal letter. As the letter is intended for different sets of people, the letter acquires a secondary role and becomes an announcement letter, a goodbye letter, a friendly letter and a request letter. The same letter can be used to announce, say goodbye, send a friendly message and most prominently place a request.

Also referred as parental leave, it is an employee’s duty to inform about the pregnancy to the management in advance or as soon as possible so that they can make proper arrangements during the employee’s absence. In most cases the minimum requirement for giving your employer notice is 3 months written notice before commencing the leave. A letter for maternity leave is a formality which has to be followed as a protocol; just a verbal notification isn’t enough. 

The duration of the leave varies, while some countries offer 52 weeks of maternity, some provide 39 weeks of leave. This time period can also be extended as per the need. The leave does not affect the employment contract; it remains as it is, unless terminated by the employer or the employee. The employee continues to benefit from their statutory employment rights during parental leave. Other perks provided to the employee may be given or not given during the leave period depending upon the employee-employer contract. Thus, one should confirm all the company policies and rules regarding the leave.