More Time Off: Negotiate
Supplementary
Maternity
Leave
Note: This page is an Appendix of the Max Maternity Leave
Proposal Template & Negotiation Guide. Don't have it ?
Download your free copy.
After presenting supplemental leave as part of your proposed total
length of leave, your manager may inquire, “What is this supplemental leave?”
Reply with something like, “That's the portion of my maternity leave that I'd
like to focus our discussion on.” Then move into your prepared opening lines of
negotiations.
Your manager may not ask about supplemental leave specifically
but instead challenge you on the total number of weeks you've requested:
“I can't have you gone for 16 weeks!”
In that scenario, put the emphasis on the merits and strength of your WORK
COVERAGE plan. Be ready to compromise with the ACCESSIBILITY DURING LEAVE
element of your proposed leave. If necessary, point out the portion of leave
that you're “entitled” to.
Use These Sample Scripts
“It sounds like a long time to be away, yet the main concern regarding my
absence is addressed: the work will get done. Let's go over my WORK
COVERAGE plan in more detail so I can address your specific concerns.”
“Would you like me to be in touch with you earlier or more often than I've
proposed? Let's modify the ACCESSIBILITY section of my proposal as a way to
address your concerns.”
“While I am requesting [a few] additional weeks time beyond the 12
weeks allowed by law [assumes you're eligible], the work will continue to be
handled in the way I've outlined. Plus, I'll be talking to you more often during
the latter part of my leave. May we focus our discussion on your specific areas
of concern and how my WORK COVERAGE plan and ACCESSIBILITY can address them?”
These sample scripts give you an idea of how you can direct your
negotiations. Naturally, your actual opening lines and replies to your manager's
response to your proposal will be tailored to your unique set of circumstances.
This exchange with your manager is where your planning and preparation will
shine. The more prepared you are, the more convincing you will be.1
Segue to Pay During Supplemental Leave
Perhaps your manager will accept your proposal without challenging
supplemental leave or the total number of weeks requested.
In that scenario,
move right into your request for getting some pay during supplemental
leave. See Paid
Maternity Leave, for the conditions that foster that possibility.
Maternity Leave Negotiating Tips
As you devise your strategy for negotiating length of time off, keep
the following in mind:
- If you're eligible and take leave under FMLA, your job is protected
during that time. (If your state has a more generous
family leave law, inquire about the job protection provision.) But beware: once your leave extends beyond those parameters, there
is no guarantee of job protection. You have to trust that your employer
won't dismiss you from your job during your extended absence.
- When making your request for total weeks off, use a figure that
is higher than you expect to get—just as you would in negotiating a
salary. In Max Maternity Leave, I suggested four to
six weeks above your desired supplemental leave figure.
- If you're eligible for unpaid, job-protected family leave by law,
position the 12 weeks allowed as the government's minimum, i.e., as a
starting point. You may want 16 weeks; ask for 20.
- If you want more than 16 weeks, here's a tactic that may
work with your manager: Before you make your request, first
position the United States' maternity leave standards as archaic. See
next tip.
- Educate your manager by presenting a chart showing the dramatic contrast
between the United States and other developed—and even
less-developed—countries around the world. (Some of them have socialist
government structures; nonetheless, the overall contrast in benefits is
striking.) For supporting data, see
Maternity Leave Around the World
on the Maternity Leave Planning Resources page.
One possible bargaining area is the application of “comp time” to
your maternity leave. Is there a current pressing project requiring
extra hours of work? Negotiate to apply those hours to your leave
request. If your manager is agreeable, be sure get this—and other terms
of your leave—in writing.
1 Miller, Lee E. and Miller, Jessica, A
Woman’s Guide to Successful Negotiating (McGraw-Hill, 2002), 33
Go to Max Maternity Leave Appendix:
Return to Work: Transition Phase
Return to Maternity Leave Articles Index
Do you need help negotiating your desired
maternity leave?
Visit Maternity Leave Mentor for advice by phone.
|
