How long do you have to be at a job to get maternity leave?

Question

Justin Parker · Accepted Answer

You have to be at a job for one full year (12 months) in order to get maternity leave. In the United States, the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) gives eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid (or paid depending on the employer) job-protected leave for the birth of a baby or the adoption of a child.

To be eligible for this, an employee must have worked for at least 12 months for an employer, and must have worked at least 1,250 hours during that 12-month period before the maternity leave would commence.

The availability of paid maternity leave varies, as this is up to each specific employer and its policies concerning paid leave. Specific state laws can also come into play in certain situations involving maternity leave as well.