Exact Answer: during or immediately after the leave
Maternity leave is one of the basic employee rights and benefits which is available in almost all countries. Maternity leave is a period “off-work” which the mother gets before or after having a baby or adopting one.
Maternity leave is also termed as family leave or parental leave as it does not only apply to the mothers but also to fathers or partners of the person having the baby.
Maternity leave can be paid, partially paid or even unpaid, depending upon the country and the firm or sector in which the person is working in. To claim maternity leave or parental leave, the person has to give in a notice regarding the same and has to decide the timeline of their leave.
How Long After Maternity Leave Can I Resign?
Resigning after maternity or parental leave is a difficult decision and should be made keeping every kind of scenario in mind. The pay which the person gets on maternity leave is called Statutory Maternity Pay. If the person decides to quit their job after the completion of the 15th week before the due date, they are still eligible for the Statutory Maternity Pay.
However, if for some reason, the person quits before the end of their 15th week before the due date, they would not get the Statutory Maternity Pay but will be eligible for the Maternity Allowance which is basic for every job even if you are no longer a part of it. These would only be applicable if the person has passed other eligibility rules for the same.
The requirements of claiming the maternity leave are to inform the employer at prior notice, which would include letting them know the date on which the pregnancy might be due and the period which the person has decided for their maternity leave to start from. If the person, in any way, wants to change the timeline or duration of the maternity leave, that also has to be done with some prior notice.
If the person decides to quit during or after the maternity leave, they have to give the resignation in writing to the employer. The time of when the notice should be given depends upon the contract of the employer or the firm. The recommended time to resign is after the completion of the 15th week before the due date of delivery of the person.
| Time of Resignation | Eligible For |
| Before the 15th week before the due date | Maternity Allowance |
| After the 15th week before the due date | Statutory Maternity Leave |
Why Quit During Or After The Maternity Leave?
Maternity leave is the period where the pregnant woman is “off-work” before or after the delivery of the child or adopting one.
Maternity leave is provided in almost all countries, and the pay during the leave depends upon the firm or sector the person is working in. The requirements for claiming a maternity leave are to first inform the employer in advance about the matter, and the due date which is given to the person. Further, they would be told to inform the duration and dates they have decided for the maternity leave. If somehow, the person wants to change the duration of the dates of the leave, that also has to be done with some prior notice.
If the person decides to quit the job before or after starting the maternity leave, the best time to do it would be after the end of the 15th week before the due date as, that way, the person would be eligible for the Statutory Maternity Pay, considering that they have passed all the other eligibility rules. The reason it is recommended to resign after the 15th week is that if the person resigns or leaves the job before that period, even if they are eligible in every other way, they would not get the Statutory Maternity Leave and would only end up being provided the Maternity Allowance, which is available even if the person has quit the job and is not a part of the firm or agency anymore
Conclusion
Maternity leave, also known as parental or family leave, is a part of the employee’s rights and benefits while working a job. It could be unpaid, paid, or partially paid, depending upon the country and the sector the person is working in.
The person is eligible for maternity leave after they have informed their employer in advance about the due date of the pregnancy and the duration and dates, they have decided for their leave to start.
If the person decides to quit before or after the starting of their maternity leave, it is recommended that they resign after the completion of the 15th week before their due date, as that way they would be eligible for the Statutory Maternity Pay.
References
- https://www.zenefits.com/workest/how-maternity-leave-works-the-employers-guide/
- https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/resigning-from-your-job-during-pregnancy-and-maternity-leave/
- https://www.thebalancecareers.com/should-you-quit-your-job-while-on-maternity-leave-2063044
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