Maternity leave policy
The New Zealand Government sets out what the minimum entitlement to parental leave (which includes Maternity Leave) is. That said, some employers will offer far more generous benefits to attract and keep great employees. A flexible approach to maternity leave policy and a family friendly workplace works well for both employers and employees.
It’s a good idea to check your employment contract, or check with your employer to find out your employer’s maternity leave policy. Some employers will offer a period of paid maternity leave (parental leave) or a bonus on returning to work.
When considering your employer’s maternity leave policy – remember it’s just as important to think about your employer’s job-flexibility and family friendliness. For some families a flexible workplace can be even more important than a period of paid maternity leave because some kind of flexible arrangement will affect your lifestyle when you have a young family and work as well.
Family friendly policies
There are so many ways employers can help employees achieve a pretty good work life balance. Here are some of the common policies that you might like to chat about to your employer:
- Flexible working hours – this gives you the opportunity to adjust your working hours to suit your family. Perhaps you would prefer to start work early and leave early to spend some time with your children after school. Many employers require all employees to work ‘core hours’ but can be flexible with start and finish times
- Only holding meetings during core hours so that parents of young children can participate
- Carer’s leave – paid or unpaid leave to care for sick family members
- Part-time work and job sharing – gives you the opportunity to achieve work life balance
- Family friendly workplace – some workplaces provide rooms for children to wait with DVDs and toys
Every family situation is different and will need different degrees of flexibility. It’s a good idea to talk to your employer openly to discuss your needs for workplace flexibility so that everyone wins.
For more information see Maternity Leave Laws or Pregnancy.