Maternity leave is the time period that a new mother takes off from work because she is about to have a baby. Female employees working in an organization are entitled up to a maximum of 12 weeks of maternity leave. If you are about to have a baby soon then you should have all the knowledge you need regarding maternity and parental leave entitlements.

Leave entitlements to differ in each country. In Australia, the Federal Government is primarily the decision-maker however organization policies also play a major role too. During this time, some people like to celebrate several occasions with their loved ones like when a girl is about to get married, her friends look for bridal shower venues, gifts and games. Thus, when you are about to have a baby, your close friends and family celebrate the occasion and make you feel special by hosting a baby shower for you.

All employees have the right to access parental leave when a child is born or adopted. You can take this leave when you are about to give birth. This also applies to those people who have adopted a child under the age of 16. Employees are entitled to 52 weeks of unpaid parental leave and if they need more time, they can request for some more time off. There is a chance that in some organizations, some employers might be more generous in regards to the leave period compared to others but in Australia, employers must stick to federal and state government regulations.

You will be entitled to maternity leave under these circumstances:

• The employee must have worked for at least 12months full time or part-time.
• A casual employee will be eligible for unpaid maternity leave if they have been working for the employer on a systematic basis for a year.
• If the employee’s partner is about to give birth, they can take their leave from the day of birth.
• If the employee is about to adopt a child, he or she can start their leave from the day of the adoption.

There are several benefits for pregnant women who are still working like they can avail sick leaves especially if they are suffering from continuous health concerns during their time of pregnancy. There is a maternity leave specially arranged which allows a pregnant woman to avail this maternity special leave but unpaid, in case there is a mishap with the pregnancy such as a miscarriage, abortion, or some other illness.

There are many women at times who are not able to perform their job at their regular pace due to pregnancy thus they are moved towards a special job, especially if their current job is not safe for them anymore. They have the same pay rate and working hours like they had before. Any employee who returns to work after their maternity leave will start their job from the same position and pay rate however if their job has been given to someone else then they have the right to a similar job with the same pay rate and position.