Okuzeka
Human Resources vocabulary · Working Time & Leave

Maternity leave

Meaning in human resources, with examples

nounCommon term

In human resources, maternity leave means: Time off work that a woman takes before and after having a baby, with the right to return to her job and, in many countries, some pay.

In Turkish: doğum izni, analık izni

How it is used

People are 'on maternity leave', or informally 'on maternity'. Policies cover how much notice to give, maternity pay and keeping-in-touch days. The length and rules differ a lot between countries.

Example sentences

  1. Anna starts her maternity leave in May, and Tom will look after her accounts.

  2. She's back from maternity leave and working four days a week.

Common collocations

  • go on maternity leave
  • return from maternity leave
  • maternity pay
  • maternity cover
  • parental leaveTime off work that parents can take to look after a baby or young child; it may cover mothers, fathers and adoptive parents.
  • annual leavePaid time off work that an employee is entitled to each year for holidays and rest, usually counted in days.
  • flexible workingWays of working that differ from fixed office hours, such as flexible start and finish times, part-time hours, compressed weeks or working from home.
  • part-timeWorking fewer hours than the normal full working week, for example three days a week or only in the mornings.

More terms: Working Time & Leave

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