| Here's good news you won't find on the (USA) | | | | used). With her 240 remaining hours used up, she |
| Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA) poster at | | | | then resumed her full-time schedule. There you have |
| your workplace: | | | | it-a part-time, phase-back-to-work arrangement after |
| Reduced leave schedule is a little-known provision of | | | | maternity leave under FMLA. |
| FMLA that may allow you to follow your maternity | | | | Remember, even if you qualify for 480 hours of |
| leave with a temporary part-time schedule. Under | | | | family leave under FMLA, once any (if any) |
| FMLA, you may be able to take your initial six weeks | | | | employer-paid leave is used up, the remainder of the |
| of full-time-off maternity leave, then follow it with a | | | | allowed weeks (or hours) is generally unpaid, and you |
| temporary part-time schedule before you return to a | | | | would not be eligible for unemployment compensation |
| full-time schedule. | | | | during this time. So while you may be unable to |
| Consider it Your Customized Phase-Back-to-Work | | | | afford lengthy unpaid time off, by flexing your |
| Plan | | | | unused hours after maternity leave into a reduced |
| Even though you may qualify for 12 weeks of leave | | | | leave (part-time) schedule, you can enjoy more time |
| under FMLA, your household budget or employer | | | | with your baby as you resume earning part of your |
| pressure may compel your return to work after only | | | | pay. |
| six weeks of leave. A better-paced maternity leave | | | | To Pull This Off You Must... |
| might be six full weeks off, then a transition period | | | | To use this provision of FMLA, you must first get |
| of working part-time hours, then back to full-time. | | | | your employer's agreement if medical necessity is not |
| This allows you to retain partial earnings even as you | | | | a factor, as is often the case in the period after the |
| enjoy more time to bond with your baby. | | | | six weeks of post-birth maternity (medical) leave. |
| Is that option possible? Yes! Besides the emotional | | | | Quoting from the U.S. Department of Labor: |
| benefits, a transitional approach makes it easier to | | | | "When leave is taken after the birth of a healthy |
| continue breastfeeding and to fine-tune your | | | | child or placement of a healthy child for adoption or |
| work-family balance strategies. FMLA's reduced leave | | | | foster care, an employee may take leave |
| schedule is not only little-known, it is hardly publicized. | | | | intermittently or on a reduced leave schedule only if |
| So until now, you probably didn't know about this | | | | the employer agrees." |
| creative approach to maternity leave. | | | | How do you get your employer to agree? The |
| Here's How it Works | | | | time-proven way to get approval of flexible work is |
| Start by converting the 12 weeks of allowed FMLA | | | | to present a written proposal to your immediate |
| leave into its equivalent hours: 480 hours of leave | | | | manager. It must address not only your part-time |
| available (that is, 40 hours for each week). Then, | | | | scheduling needs, but also your employer's |
| figure the number of remaining hours available for | | | | bottom-line interests. When it's time to present your |
| flexing into a temporary part-time schedule after | | | | proposal, be sure to position the phase-back |
| your maternity leave is over. | | | | arrangement in a positive light. |
| Here's an example: | | | | Even if you're not eligible for leave under FMLA, you |
| After her six weeks (240 hours) of maternity leave, | | | | may want to develop a proposal for a similar |
| Amy had 240 hours of FMLA leave remaining. | | | | approach to your maternity leave. In any case, it's a |
| Using FMLA's reduced leave schedule provision, she | | | | good idea to present your phase-back, reduced leave |
| negotiated to work three days per week during her | | | | schedule proposal as the final issue of discussion of |
| initial four weeks back to work. In other words, she | | | | your overall maternity leave work-coverage plan, |
| took two days of leave per week for four weeks, | | | | placing it in the Return to Work section. You and |
| using up 64 hours of her 240 remaining allowed leave | | | | your baby will benefit from a plan to return to work |
| hours. Then she worked four days per week and | | | | gradually. With this strategy, you can put your plan |
| took one day of leave in each of the next 22 weeks | | | | into action. |
| (8 hours per week x 22 weeks = 176 more hours | | | | |