The sad truth is, most US employers don’t offer anything near the maternity leave new moms need and want. My mission is to help you get the best maternity leave possible under constraining circumstances. With proper planning and strategic asking, you can get more than what your employer offers.
If the baseline maternity leave you figured earlier falls short of what you really want, how do you get more weeks off?
Supplemental leave is the key to extending your time off from work to be with your baby. Supplemental leave is what I’ve labeled the number of weeks that you are requesting beyond your baseline maternity leave.
Keep in mind that supplemental leave is not in your employee manual. It is not a mainstream employment term that you’ll find in a policy.
Supplemental leave is a term I coined when writing Max Maternity Leave. It’s my recommended off-the-policy-menu option for getting more time off than what you’re entitled to or have earned. Yes, you’re going to ask for more!
You probably have an idea of how many more weeks off you want. But let’s face it: your budget is a big factor in figuring the answer to this exercise. Determine the number of weeks of supplemental leave you want based on what you can afford without pay. (Don’t ditch me yet; there are creative ways to address the pay issue, which I’ve addressed in another article.)
Also, you’ll be negotiating for supplemental leave so, as with any negotiation, ask for more than you expect to get. Tack on four to six weeks to your initial supplemental leave request so that there’s room for compromise. If you get the maximum you request without need for compromise, take it. You can always return to work earlier if your finances require it. So get your number:
Supplemental Leave Request: _____ weeks desired + 4 to 6 = _____ weeks to initially request
I imagine you have questions at this point, such as:
What do I say if my manager challenges my request for supplemental leave?
What if my family budget doesn’t allow for supplemental leave?
Those answers are provided in Max Maternity Leave, a proposal template and negotiation guide from which this article is adapted. Learn more and download your free copy today.
