How Long Should Your Maternity Leave Be?

It’s a common question that every pregnant mum will think at the end of the pregnancy: “How long I shall take for my maternity leave.” So how much maternity leave should you or can you take? The answer isn’t simple and there are many factors to consider before answering this important question.

What’s Your Rights

Putting all of the other details aside for a moment, take a look at the facts. In Malaysia, you are entitled to 2 months paid leave. So if you want more days then you always can take the unpaid leave.  But there are some companies offer more than 2 months maternity leave up to 6 months. This is great but unless you work for one of these great companies. It’s also illegal for employers to fire a woman because she becomes pregnant or takes maternity leave. 

Work With the HR department

Contact your HR department for the latest employee handbook or policies and procedures to see how much paid maternity leave you could receive. 

Ask Others

Ask coworkers, friends, and family members how their maternity leave went. How much time off worked for them? If there anything they would have done differently? Also, find out if and how they stayed connected to work during their leave.

Ask Spouse or Family Members for Help

Discuss leave plans with your spouse or family. If another adult can take leave after your leave is over, this could help save money on child care expenses and extend your baby’s time being cared for by a family member.

Overestimate Rather than Extend Your Leave

You may want to overestimate how much leave you want, in case you end up needing more than you think. Giving birth can be unpredictable. You don’t know what your health or the baby’s health will be like immediately after delivery. If your newborn ends up in the intensive care unit, the last thing you want to be thinking about is calling your boss to request more leave.

There’s No Easy Answer 

This question is complicated to answer for a number of reasons, so be sure to give yourself a lot of time to consider. It’s easy to say you’ll be back as soon as you can because you haven’t met your baby yet. Once you hold your perfect newborn, you might feel that nothing else matters. So give yourself plenty of time to make the best decision for you and your family. Remember, you always have a choice.