12.27.23 – Maternity Leave: What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Maternity Leave:
What to Expect When You’re Expecting

Wednesday, December 27, 2023

What to Expect When You’re Expecting 

Being familiar with your rights and responsibilities during a Maternity Leave of Absence is important. Understanding the structure of the leave will help you better navigate your time before and after birth.

Maternity Medical

Everything from the confirmation of your pregnancy to the birth of your baby is what we classify as Maternity Medical. Within this portion of your leave, you’re entitled to about two months’ worth of sick calls if needed for pregnancy-related illness. If you experience prolonged illness or complications due to pregnancy, your doctor may remove you from service for any length of time. Your doctor can remove and return you to work at any point during this time. Each pregnancy looks different; the most important is a healthy and safe pregnancy. If you’re experiencing any issues or don’t know how to navigate this portion of your leave, please get in touch with the APFA Health Department, so we may help you with your next steps.

Maternity Disability

Congratulations! Your baby has arrived. At this point in the leave, you should have administered your claim with MetLife for the Post Birth Disability Policy. You are entitled to six weeks of paid time off for natural birth and eight weeks of paid time off for cesarean. Whether your delivery was “natural” or cesarean, your doctor may extend your paid time off up to a maximum of 10 weeks. You will coordinate this piece with MetLife. During this time, the only work-related focus should be ensuring you’ve removed yourself from any scheduled trips until MetLife has coordinated your approved leave dates with the company.

Maternity PLOA

You’re nearing the end of your Disability recovery period and are considering returning to work or taking additional time off to be with your baby. You can elect a Maternity/Paternity PLOA during your leave. JCBA Section 25.G.3. specifies that this portion of the leave shall commence upon the date of birth or termination and shall continue no later than 180 calendar days after that. A better way to clarify this piece of the leave would be to say that you may elect a Maternity PLOA for the remaining days available to you that would cease on the 180th day from the date of birth. As each pregnancy looks different, so does each postpartum. If you have mental or physical post-birth complications, please reach out to your APFA Health department so we may support you in your next steps and help you determine whether the Maternity PLOA is right for you.

Miscarriage Support

A miscarriage is emotionally devastating. Please do not hesitate to lean on us in this time of need so we may help you navigate the support options available. You are eligible for the MetLife post-birth disability policy and time away from work while recovering physically and mentally.

Paternity Support

Non-birthing parents need support, too! While the contractual entitlement is phrased as Maternity/Paternity Leave, we want to let non-birthing parents know they are covered, too. You have the same contractual entitlement as the birthing parent when taking a personal leave of absence to care for your little one. Like the birthing parent, you are also eligible (hours permitted) for FMLA Baby Bonding. This would run concurrent with the time off you may take under the Maternity/Paternity Leave. The benefit to FMLA, in this case, would be the ability to maintain your active insurance rates. This can be especially important if your family is on your insurance plan.

Should you have any questions regarding your Maternity or Paternity Leave of Absence, please get in touch with Mary Hennessy with AA Flight Service Administration at [email protected].

In Solidarity,

Cathy Sharp
APFA National Health Chair
[email protected]