Time Off

• When a working woman becomes pregnant, she is entitled to a maternity leave. This means that the woman has up to 12 weeks that she can take off for the birth of her baby. This time includes any time taken off before the birth of the baby and after. So if a pregnant woman stopped working in her eight month of pregnancy, she would have to return to work when her baby was 2 months old. During the 12 weeks that a woman is on maternity leave, she cannot be fired from her job.
  
  

Paid and Unpaid Maternity Leave

• There are two types of maternity leave, paid and unpaid. Paid maternity leave is when the company a woman works for continues to pay her a weekly salary even though she is at home with her baby. This is rare. Most women save up their vacation days or their sick days and use them up when they are on maternity leave to help ease the financial burden during those 12 weeks. Most jobs offer unpaid maternity leave. The women are encouraged to take the 12 weeks to enjoy with their new babies, but they are not paid for it. Either way, the woman's job is secure.
  
  

STD

• Short-term disability, or STD, can be collected for 8 of the 12 weeks a woman is on maternity leave. A woman can only claim STD if she has paid into it. This would be taken out of your paycheck weekly so you would be able to check your pay stub to see if you have been paying into it. If you have, you are entitled to request the money when you go on maternity leave.