Maternity Leave Benefits for WAHM (Work-at-Home-Moms)

Happy Thanksgiving! Just sharing with you something that I am truly grateful for...

A few more weeks to go before I give birth to my second child - and some of my online friends are asking me if I am eligible for maternity leave benefits even if I only work from home. Luckily, I can answer them YES. My full-time job is internet-based, so I can work literally anywhere as long as there is stable internet connection. I've been with the company since August 2009 and my employer actually agreed on giving me a 4-week maternity leave with pay. Furthermore, last year when I had a miscarriage, I was given 2 weeks paid leave to completely recuperate. Though I told him that I can go back to work within the same week that I was rushed into the hospital, he insisted that I use the full 14-days leave so I can fully recover.

If you are a full-time Work-at-Home Mom like me, here are some of the things you might want to consider about taking a maternity leave:

• Before discussing maternity leave with your employer, figure out how much time you need. It may not be approved right away, so you have to be open for negotiations. Personally, I think I can get back to the grind as soon as 2 weeks after giving birth because my job is not too demanding - mostly email correspondence and live chats which are not very frequent. 2 weeks up to a month for me is just ideal.

• Do not hesitate to ask your employer about a PAID maternity leave but also do not put your hope on it 100 percent. After all, only a few full-time WAHMs I know are lucky enough to be given a paid leave. There's nothing wrong with being optimistic, but be prepared to take rejections.

• Notify your employer early. At least two weeks before your due date so the company can prepare all necessary arrangements to ensure that everything will work out well while you're on leave. Also make sure you finish all pending and incomplete tasks.

• Do not rush things. Do not go back to work if you are not ready physically, mentally  and emotionally. Also remember that those first few months are critical and very important for your newborn's development. I know WAHMs like us normally couldn't afford to take longer vacations, but make sure not to sacrifice your health and your family for the sake of earning money.

• Everything is doable with encouragement and support. Even if your maternity leave request is denied, you can still work with the support of your husband and other family members. I know this from experience, because the first company I used to work for online (A Hong Kong - based company and I worked for them full-time for 2 years) denied me of any maternity benefits. I thought at first that I can't be a full-time mother and a full-time employee at the same time. I've been tempted to resign many times so I can take care of my newborn, but thanks to my husband and my parents who are always there there to encourage and support me, I was able to make it through without having to sacrifice my job.

• Plan ahead. Weigh and decide whether or not you need a house help, so you can focus and work properly again when your maternity leave period is over. Having my first-born child required a big adjustment, so I figured another child would need even more. It seem stressful trying to juggle all your wonder-mommy, wonder-wifey and wonder-employee tasks in one or both hands - so I am considering to hire an extra hand this time.

And hey, I saw an infographic on Facebook the other day about paid maternity leave in other countries compared to the US. That's where I realized that working women in the US aren't given paid maternity leave, and that the Philippines' working women populace is still luckier. 

I feel so blessed having a considerate employer who understand the needs of women. How about you, what are you grateful for today?
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