How to File a Maternity Leave Application Online

Every new parent deserves some time to bond with their new babies. New fathers deserve paternity leave, while new mothers are entitled to maternity leave. In the U.S., new parents are protected by the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to go on unpaid family leave after adoption or birthing of a child.

Some companies offer paid parental leaves to new parents. The new child could be a product of fostering, natural birth, surrogate, or adoption. However, the process of applying for parental leave is not very straightforward and has a lot of requirements to be fulfilled.

DoNotPay takes out the hustle associated with . We simplify the application process to just a few button clicks.

Paid Maternity Leave in the USA

Every new American mother is entitled to maternity leave. However, the rules governing maternity leave are not standard in the states. Some state laws advocate for paid maternity leave, while others only offer unpaid leave.

The following states advocate for employees to be granted paid maternity leave:

California	Connecticut	Hawaii
Maine	Minnesota	New Jersey
Oregon	Rhode Island	Vermont
Washington	Wisconsin	The District of Columbia

New mothers from states that do not advocate for paid maternity leave benefit from the FMLA unpaid leave.

What’s the Difference Between FMLA and Paid Maternity Leave

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) is a program by the federal government that advocates a 12-week unpaid leave from work due to family or medical reasons. The family and medical condition might be yours or your spouse, child, or parents. You can also use an FMLA leave when having a new baby if your company does not offer parental leave.

Maternity leave is a paid leave given to new mothers by their employers to give them time to heal and bond with their new babies. Maternity leaves are given to mothers who give birth, foster, adopt or get a child through surrogacy.

The rules around maternity leave differ with different companies. The leave should, however, not be shorter than 12 weeks. In some organizations, the new mother is given a care package dubbed baby cash to help them pay for some baby stuff.

Who Is Eligible for Maternity Leave?

All new mothers are eligible for maternity leave. This includes:

Natural birth mothers
Surrogate mothers
Faster mothers
Adoptive mothers

In some organizations, mothers who give birth are given more extended periods than adoption, foster, or surrogate mothers.

Although the rules change depending on the company, the most typical rules determine whether you will be granted paid maternity leave. You must:

Have worked at that company for at least 12 months
Work in a company that has 50 or more employees within a radius of 75 miles
Have worked at least 1,250 hours over the past 12 months

How Do I Apply for Maternity Leave?

Different companies offer different avenues for the application of maternity leaves. The most common application methods are through email or mailing a letter. You need to find the most acceptable way to submit your maternity leave application through your human resource manager.

However, you need to send in your leave application at least 8 weeks before your anticipated delivery date and attach the following:

An ultrasound report as proof of pregnancy
Your MATB1 certificate, given to you by your midwife or general practitioner

In your application letter or email, you need to give the date you wish to start your maternity leave and your estimated due date.

If an emergency occurs before the anticipated leave or delivery time, you are allowed to go on emergency leave. You should, however, communicate with your employer once you are well and stable.

Next Steps for Maternity Leave Application, if You Can’t Do It Yourself

Maternity leave is a crucial period that sets the foundation of your parenting. You need professional help if you are unable to apply for maternity leave on your own. DoNotPay understands how lengthy and stressful a maternity leave application process can be.

Our leave application product allows you to successfully file your FMLA claim, get an FMLA form, apply for paid parental leave, or FMLA leave within a very short period from your browser.

How to request parental leave using DoNotPay:

If you want to request parental leave but don't know where to start, DoNotPay has you covered in 6 easy steps:

Tell DoNotPay which state you work in (if you work in CA, NY, NJ, MA, WA, or DC, your state has a paid family leave program).
Choose whether you want DoNotPay to apply to the program for you or contact your employer with your leave request. If you want to apply for the program, DoNotPay will walk you through the questions on the form and mail the application form for you.
If you want DoNotPay 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).
Indicate whether you are the birth parent or not (birth parents have a few additional legal protections).
Enter the name of your company and the person to address this request to.
Select whether you want DoNotPay to email the request to your employer on your behalf.

Why Use DoNotPay to Apply for a Maternity Leave?

DoNotPay offers you the shortest and most convenient way to . DoNotPay’s services are not restricted to one location, and DoNotPay can help you apply for maternity leave in California as easily as Florida, New York, and New Jersey.

What Else Can DoNotPay Do?

DoNotPay works across all companies, government entities, and groups to bring you simplified solutions to all your administrative and legal problems. Here are a few other services DoNotPay can help you with: