Lost Maternity Leave - Beware!

[babylemon]

For those mummies who take hospitalization leave due to pregnancy related issue before delivery, pls check with your company HR. I had pregnancy complication and was issued hospitalization leave and mc for about 3 weeks e.g July-Aug. That was more than 2 months earlier than my EDD in Oct. Subsequently I delivered my baby in Aug. However after I informed my company HR, I am shocked to find out that the maternity leave can commence 4 weeks before the child's birth date. (different from the 4 weeks before EDD). The best thing is this policy is not indicated in the company HR website and the HR personnel said that I should have called to check first.

I lost one month of maternity leave as the company dont't recognize the hospitalization leave due to pregnancy and the maternity leave can commence even without any mutual agreement i.e in July even though I gave birth in Aug. So mummies, pls check with your company on the maternity leave policy so that you do not be a victim like me.

 

[goodman123]

I thought u have a choice to utilize the maternity leave 1 month in advance or from the date of baby birth?

 

[ice_melody]

It should be a choice because hospitalization leave is also an entitlement. Unless u use up the full entitlement but usually (including total year mc) companies give entitlement of 30-60 days. Don't think company has the right to auto-commence or override entitled hospitalisation leave.

 

[babylemon]

Goodman, my understanding fm MOM website is advance one mth maternity leave from EDD date. For my case, my delivery was emergency c sect which is not a pre-determined date.

 

[babylemon]

Ice melody, agree with you. My company has 60 days hospitalization leave and 30 days medical leave entitlement. But the HR said that if the hospitalization leave n mc is due to pregnancy related issue and it is 4 weeks before the child's birth date, it will be considered as maternity leave instead. This is the first time I hear such unfair "policy" from an established private company and for being honest to the HR.

 

[ecila23]

Did u ask Mom?

 

[goodman123]

Hi Baby lemon
I got the information extracted from http://www.mom.gov.sg/employment-practices/employment-rights-conditions/leave-and-holiday/Pages/maternity-leave.aspx
Based on information it didnt mention EDD but delivery. In addition, my gynae ever mention to mi previously tat the maternity leave can kick in optionally 4 weeks before delivery or from the date of delivery.
Maybe it's best to seek clarification with MOM so to ensure what ur HR has interpreted is of the correct procedure.

 

[babylemon]

Thanks goodman, I tried to clarify with MOM, but their reply is very confusing. They quoted the employment act and mention the 4 wks before delivery and in a separate mail also mention by default 4 wks before EDD although I gave specific details of my case. They also provided the same URL that you indicated above. But I noted that the child devt co savings act mentioned "entitled" to be absent. For any new mums, who will be in a right frame of mind to start maternity leave earlier if we are covered by hospitalization leave? My understanding of that "entitled" is for those who wants to rest at home before delivery (without any pregnancy related illness) as it is tiring during the last wks of the last trimester.

For those who have similar experience, kindly share. In my previous company, my maternity leave started on the day of my child's delivery date and I was also entitled to hospitalization leave prior my delivery as I had the same pregnancy complication.

 

[mamadinosaur]

My company has the same policy! That if hospitalisation occurs within 4 wks before delivery date, it will be considered as maternity leave. I really dun understand the logic of it.

In any case, my gynae made sure i had a "break" between my hospi leave and maternity leave... I.e. i went back to work at wk 36... So i checked with my HR abt this... She replied that if gynae gave specifically hospitalisation leave, it will be considered as hospi leave. So i was glad that it isnt an issue.

I wonder if we r in the same company? Real estate developer?

 

[babylemon]

My company has the same policy! That if hospitalisation occurs within 4 wks before delivery date, it will be considered as maternity leave. I really dun understand the logic of it.

In any case, my gynae made sure i had a "break" between my hospi leave and maternity leave... I.e. i went back to work at wk 36... So i checked with my HR abt this... She replied that if gynae gave specifically hospitalisation leave, it will be considered as hospi leave. So i was glad that it isnt an issue.

I wonder if we r in the same company? Real estate developer?

Thanks for sharing! I m not in e same industry. My case is still different from what you mention as I was hospitalized twice. My "break" between 2 hospitalization leave periods was the mc, ie hosp, mc, hosp n delivery. My gynae specifically gave separate hospitalization leave, mc and maternity leave cert (with delivery date). After my first hospitalization, I was advised not to go to work as I needed more bed rest upon discharge. On my second hospitalization, my gynae refused to let me discharge as my condition require close monitoring. And subsequently I delivered my baby.

I feel that this "policy" is an unfair treatment. How can my hospitalization leave n mc entitlement turn into maternity leave? Even MOM also cannot answer this simple question.

 

[zaclin29]

This is a normal & common policy.
Some company will take HL as ML if it starts just before delivery. So it is better to check with yr HR. Unless there is a break between yr HL & ML.