Paid maternity leave and working from home

There is probably general agreement today that women’s reproductive and parenting imperatives place them at a disadvantage in the workplace. 

Whether it is unpaid or paid, maternity leave, as it is structured in our workplace, is an entitlement that should not be muddied with the notion of working from home.

An employee on sick leave would not have emails redirected to his or her hospital bed.  Someone on annual leave should not be hassled by the boss while taking a plunge in the surf.

And so it should be with maternity leave. Female employees should not be faced with the expectation that they attempt to combine work with the critical task they perform while on maternity leave.

Never does the human body go through such massive change as during pregnancy and childbirth.  Working women physically and emotionally roller-coaster their way through the best part of 12 months.  Then they face a challenge that is more daunting than presenting month-end accounts to the Board of Directors.  Every day.

Maternity leave is by its very nature designed to allow a woman to rest her body and spend time bonding and caring for her newborn. 

However, an employee should not be disenfranchised from an organisation because she is taking leave to care for a child.  It is important for professional and social networks to be maintained during the period of leave.

If you want her back in twelve months time, you need to delicately keep her in the loop.

If employers are serious about their desire to retain valuable members of staff, they must consider the strong case in favour of paid maternity leave.  Statistics point to the cost savings to business of offering women a period of paid leave after having a baby.

The benefits crisscross through an organisation.  The loyalty spin off affects all women within an organisation.  The benefits can flow through to greater workplace productivity and most importantly, can lead to a significantly higher number of female staff returning to their jobs after maternity leave. 

• Knowledge and corporate memory is retained within the organisation; 
• Recruitment and training costs are contained; and
• Efficiencies are achieved through job sharing/secondment during the maternity leaver’s absence.

Whilst 52 weeks maternity leave might be the lawful entitlement in Australia, less than one quarter of private enterprise offers women access to paid leave.  Australia (and the US) stand out amongst developed countries for the absence of a minimum period of paid maternity leave.

Of the 23% of employers offering varying periods of paid maternity leave, many also offer paid paternity leave.  These employers are frequently mentioned as employers of choice.

The critical ingredient in the maternity leave equation is removing the woman from the daily stresses and demands of her paid work environment. She requires a period of rest and the security of knowing she has the support of her employer.

However, an expectation or attempt to work from home only serves to corrupt the principles of maternity leave.  Employers must manage their workplace for the period of an employee’s absence and welcome her back with supportive and flexible return-to-work policies.