How to Apply for Maternity Leave at Google in 6 Steps

Google is one of many tech giants in the U.S. with parental leave policies that are above the norm for private-sector employers, and far above the federal requirements for family medical leave in the U.S. However, in spite of the generous benefits offered, requesting maternity leave from Google after having a baby can be a time-consuming and complex process. Fortunately, DoNotPay's Parental Leave Request and Benefits product not only helps you determine the family medical leave benefits you're eligible to receive but can even send your request for Google maternity leave on your behalf.

What is Google's Parental Leave Policy?

While many companies only offer the federally-required twelve weeks of unpaid medical leave and many states do not have a minimum requirement for maternity leave policies, Google maternity leave benefits actually goes over and beyond, providing:

• Up to 4 weeks of fully paid leave before the birth. Vacation time accrues during these four weeks.
• 6-8 weeks postpartum recovery, fully paid.
• Up to 12 weeks of time to bond with the new child. This benefit is available for both mothers and fathers.
• 2 weeks of "ramp up" time before the employee returns to full-time duties. Ramp-up time consists of 50 percent work and 100 percent pay.

In all, up to 18 weeks of fully-paid parental leave is available for new parents and up to 24 weeks of benefits for the mother or primary caretaker of the child.

Who is Eligible to Receive Maternity Leave Benefits From Google?

Maternity leave benefits are available for full-time Google employees who are either:

• The mother of a child born or adopted within the past year.
• The primary caretaker of a child born or adopted within the past year.

If You're Ineligible for Google Benefits, FMLA Can Be an Option

While Google is generous with its benefits, not all employees are qualified to receive maternity leave through the company. For those who need maternity leave and have already used their leave benefits through Google, there may be paid benefits available from the state, or you can seek unpaid benefits available through FMLA.

What is FMLA?

The Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is the federal law that provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-secure parental leave to both mothers and fathers after the birth or adoption of a child. This leave can be used in order to bond with the child after birth or being placed in the home for adoption, as well as to address any medical complications experienced by the mother either before the birth of the child or after. In order to obtain benefits through FMLA, an employee must work for their employer for at least 12 months.

Check out DoNotPay's state guides about FMLA:

How to Apply for FMLA

In order to obtain FMLA maternity leave, you must do the following:

1. Notify your employer at least 30 days in advance of when you plan to take your leave.
2. Provide ample information so that your employer is able to see that FMLA will likely apply to your request.
3. Your employer must notify you within 5 days whether your leave qualifies for FMLA.
4. The employer must also inform you of how much of your leave will be designated as FMLA and counted against your FMLA entitlement.

There is an Easier Way to Obtain Your Google Maternity Leave Benefits

Determining whether Google's maternity leave benefits are available for you, if your state requires employers to provide benefits, or if you should seek unpaid leave through FMLA can be confusing and is likely the last thing you want to deal with while preparing for the arrival of your new little one. Fortunately, DoNotPay's Parental Leave Request and Benefits product allows you to easily determine the parental leave benefits that are available for you and to request parental leave from Google. 

How to Request Maternity Leave From Google Through DoNotPay

Request your Google maternity leave in just a few easy steps! All you have to do is:

1. Tell us which state you work in (if you work in CA, NY, NJ, MA, WA, or DC, your state has a paid family leave program).

    

2. Choose whether you want us to apply to the program for you or contact your employer with your leave request. If you want to apply for the program, we will walk you through the questions on the form and mail the application form for you.

    

3. If you want us to contact your employer, enter your leave details, including the starting date, number of weeks of leave, and how many weeks of paid leave you are requesting (for example, you may take a 12 week leave, but only request 8 weeks of paid leave to make the request reasonable).

    

4. Indicate whether you are the birth parent or not (birth parents have a few additional legal protections).

    

5. Enter the name of your company and the person to address this request to.

    

6. Select whether you want us to email the request to your employer on your behalf.

    

Note: If you chose the option to apply to your state benefits program, we'll mail the completed application form on your behalf, and you should hear back from them with confirmation in a few weeks. If you chose the option for us to email your employer on your behalf, you should wait to hear back from them by email. Their response will be sent directly to the email you entered in our chat.

Other Tasks DoNotPay Can Make Easier for You

Requesting your Google maternity leave benefits is not the only task DoNotPay can make easier for you. We can take the legwork and guesswork out of many of the tasks you perform from day-to-day, such as:

• Request sick leave
• File a complaint

Want to know more? Sign in or sign up for DoNotPay today!