Prepare for parental leave in a way that allows you to embrace this new chapter with confidence and ensure a positive experience for you, your family, and your employer.

The thought of becoming a parent, while filled with joy and excitement, can be riddled with anxiety when it comes to navigating the impending parental leave.

For working moms, preparing for this significant life phase is not just about the baby; it also requires careful planning for a smooth transition at work. Understanding your parental leave policies and how they intersect with your finances can make a world of difference.

To ease the stressful journey through this uncharted territory, it pays (quite literally) to be well-informed with tips on everything from managing finances to reducing stress during this transformative time.

Lay the groundwork in your professional life that allows you to focus on the job of parenting.

It makes sense to look at the laws first before we consider more unique personal situations. Let’s start with FMLA.

The Family and Medical Leave Act, FMLA, is a U.S. labor law enacted in 1993 that provides eligible employees with the right to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specific family and medical reasons.

To qualify, employees must work for a covered employer, have worked for at least a year, and have completed at least 1,250 hours of service during the year preceding the leave. Included in the list of reasons an individual may invoke their right to this benefit is the birth and care of a newborn child.

The word upaid may sting a bit, but there are certainly positive benefits to this law. For example, during FMLA leave, employers are required to maintain the employee’s health coverage under the same terms as during active service. FMLA also ensures the employee is entitled to return to their original or equivalent position with the same salary and working conditions.

Overall, the FMLA aims to help employees balance their work and family responsibilities while ensuring job security and protection of benefits. Knowing your legal entitlement to this benefit empowers self-advocacy, so read up!