By submitting a maternity leave application, you legally notify your employer that you intend to take time off work to care for you and your unborn child before and after birth. Making the most of your employer’s maternity benefits requires careful planning of your maternity leave. Additionally, submitting a maternity leave letter enables your manager to effectively manage your workload while you’re away. The purpose of this post is to explain why and how to prepare a maternity leave application.
Write a professional maternity leave application using the steps below:
1. Examine the maternity leave policies of your workplace.
Companies in India provide pre-and post-natal leaves totalling up to 12 weeks, or 84 days, of maternity leave. To learn about the maternity benefits to which you are entitled, review your company’s leave policies. Make sure your leave application corresponds with the standards of your employer, including the mode of application, advance notification, person to be intimated, amount of leave days, and an alternate arrangement for workflow during your leave.
2. At the top, include the date and your address.
Your name and address should be written in the top left corner of the letter, with the date written in the top right. Alternatively, you can write the date after your address with a tiny space.
3. Include the name and address of the recipient.
Include your manager’s name and address when you write your request for leave. Per your company’s policies, confirm that you manage your letter to the appropriate individual. If you have any questions, speak with your HR department.
4. Include a subject line.
Include a subject line that is explicit about your request for maternity leave. It can be something like ‘Request for maternity leave or ‘Maternity leave application’.
5. Greeting the recipient.
When addressing the receiver, use a formal salutation. You can start an email with a greeting like “Dear Sir,” “Dear Madam,” “Dear Mr./Ms….,” or “Dear…Ji”, depending on who you are writing to. If you use the prefix “Mr./Ms.,” use the recipient’s last name; for instance, “Dear Mr Gupta” or “Dear Ms Reddy.” Contrarily, if you decide to add the suffix “Ji,” you should utilise the recipient’s first and middle names; for instance, “Dear Ashish Kumar Ji” or “Dear Lalita Devi Ji.”
6. Describe the letter’s goal in the introductory paragraph.
In the first paragraph, clarify that the application is for maternity leave. Consider including how many days of paid maternity leave you are entitled to. Mention whether you want to use all your vacation time or only a portion. Give as precise a description of your leave’s start and end dates as possible. Be careful to provide your anticipated due date if your maternity leave entitlement is split into pre- and post-natal leaves.
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7. Make a backup work schedule for when you’re not available.
Describe in detail how you’ll handle the workload while you’re on vacation if you’ve previously had a conversation about it with your boss, including a summary of that conversation in your request for leave. Decide who will handle your work while you are away. The status of the projects you are working on should also be mentioned. As an alternative, you could send the status report in a separate email and make a mention of it in the application.
8. Describe the type and level of communication you prefer.
Would you want to avoid all forms of communication during your leave, or would you be open to receiving calls and emails relating to your job? Inform your manager of your preferred methods of contact. In your leave letter, be sure to make it clear if you will be available at specific times during the day. In any case, it is a good idea to include your contact information in case of emergency communication.
9. Indicate whether you’ll require a different work schedule when you get back (optional)
When you return to work following your absence, will your work schedule need to be altered in any way? You might want to include it in your leave of absence letter. You could choose to omit this conversation entirely from your letter if you haven’t made up your mind and would rather wait and see how things work out.
10. Say thanks to your management
Thank your management for their assistance during this difficult time in your life as you conclude your leave request. Use the final one or two lines to express gratitude for their assistance and acknowledge their collaboration.
11. Sign the leave application form.
After the letter, sign your name and type your last name. If you are emailing your leave request, you can omit the signature and provide your full name.
12. Check your leave application for errors.
Check your application for factual accuracy, problems with readability, grammatical mistakes, and typos. Reading aloud to oneself can aid in identifying these problems. Make careful to format your letter professionally and use formal language. Use easy-to-read fonts like Arial and Times New Roman that are straightforward.
13. Submit your maternity leave application on time.
Make sure your application gets to the addressee in ample time, whether you are mailing a hard copy or sending an email. If there is a deadline for giving advance notice, you must keep it in mind to be eligible for maternity benefits.
