Pregnancy, parental leave and returning to work: what are my entitlements?
If you are expecting to welcome a bundle of joy in the near future, congratulations!
Various entitlements are available to pregnant employees, expectant parents or employees seeking to adopt a child.
Leave entitlements
Maternity leave is available to all employees if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months prior to the date of their child’s birth or adoption.
Sick leave, special maternity leave and compassionate leave are also available to employees. These include circumstances where you or your partner tragically experience a miscarriage, or your baby is stillborn.
Returning to work from maternity leave
If you have taken a period of paid or unpaid maternity leave, you are entitled to return to the position you had before. If your hours of work were reduced or you were transferred to a different role because of your pregnancy, then you are entitled to return to the position that you had prior to this reduction or transfer.
Make sure that you give all appropriate notifications to the employer, contact us for details.
Discrimination
There are laws to protect pregnant employees from discrimination. Your employer cannot dismiss, demote or treat you less favourably than another employee because you are pregnant. If you have experienced discrimination or lost your job as a result of pregnancy, you should seek legal advice.
If you have workplace concerns about maternity or parental leave or would like to discuss your options, please feel free to contact us.
MORGAN COUZENS LEGAL
