Smart Solutions for Your Business During Employee Maternity Leave

When one of your employees shares the exciting news of their pregnancy, it can feel bittersweet for you as a business owner. While it's wonderful news, it means you need to prepare for their absence during maternity leave. You will need a smart solution for your business when this pregnant employee goes on maternity leave. With changes in parental leave policies, a growing emphasis on career progression for mothers, and the availability of skilled maternity fill-in staff, losing a key team member for a few months doesn’t have to disrupt your operations.

This article explores these changes, how to support employees on maternity or paternity leave, and how your business can thrive through this period by effectively managing the transition.

Women Are Ambitious - And They Return to Work After a Break

If you are concerned that your employee might not return to work, a significant finding in our Working Women Report indicates that 98% of women want to work and 78% say they want to grow in their careers. Even women who have taken a career break to raise their children want to return to work, with 95% of women who took a career break indicating that they have returned to work. 

Working gives women independence and a sense of purpose outside family responsibilities, so do not expect your employee to resign. Instead engage in an open conversation about returning to work. 

Read: She’s Back! Why Employers Should Hire Working Moms After A Career Break
 

Hire Skilled Maternity Fill-In Staff to Keep Your Business Running Smoothly

To ensure your business doesn’t skip a beat during maternity leave, hire skilled fill-in staff. At RecruitMyMom, we often assist employers in this situation; we understand the importance of this fill-in hire. 

Here are solutions for your business to stay on track when an employee is on maternity leave:

• Hire maternity cover for a fixed-term contract to cover the duration of maternity leave. The benefit of this appointment is that if the employee decides not to return, this hire might be a perfect fit!
• Hire someone part-time for a fixed duration to manage tasks during the mornings or other busy periods. This will help reduce costs and enable you to contribute to the maternity pay of your pregnant employee. 
• Hire an independent contractor who can temporarily take over some of the tasks. 
• Hire a virtual assistant on a contract to handle particular tasks while your team manages other core duties.

No one solution fits all businesses. Talk through all the possible options with one of our experienced recruitment consultants. We offer independent contracting advice as well as contract hiring advice. 

What are the business benefits of supporting employees through maternity leave?

1. Increased Employee Retention:
   Offering supportive maternity leave policies helps retain talented moms who might otherwise leave the workforce. This reduces turnover and saves on recruitment and training costs.
2. Enhanced Loyalty and Engagement:
   Employees are more likely to stay loyal and engaged when they feel supported during major life transitions. 
3. Positive Employer Brand:
   Businesses that support working moms develop a reputation for being family-friendly and inclusive. This will attract future top, diverse talent and make the company more appealing to female job-seekers.
4. Improved Workplace Culture:
   Supporting maternity leave promotes a culture of care, empathy, and balance, fostering a positive work environment where employees feel valued beyond their roles.
5. Legal and Financial Protection:
   Adhering to maternity leave regulations ensures compliance with labour laws, avoiding potential legal issues or fines that can arise from non-compliance.
6. Better Employee Well-being:
   Supported employees are more productive and have lower absenteeism when they return.

Supporting moms through maternity leave isn’t just a compassionate move, it’s a strategic investment in your workforce and company success.

How to support an employee going on maternity leave. 

Here are some top tips from expert Meg Faure on this topic: 

1. Develop comprehensive maternity leave policies that are communicated to all employees.
2. Promote and engage your employees on flexible work arrangements.
3. Provide parenting and wellness support resources.
4. Create a supportive return-to-work culture for new moms.
5. Support breastfeeding by offering proper breastfeeding and pumping facilities — not a broom cupboard or the fridge with everyone else’s lunch.

READ: Stopping The Gender Leak: Strategies to Retain Working Women at All Stages of Motherhood

Support with Claiming UIF

If you're unable to pay your employee their full salary during maternity leave, you can offer valuable support by assisting them in claiming UIF. To do this, ensure you're a registered taxpayer and submit UIF (Unemployment Insurance Fund) contributions to SARS by the 7th of each month. Make sure you have an active UFiling account with all your employees properly registered in the system. Lastly, it's your responsibility to complete the necessary forms as per UIF regulations. By taking these steps, you’ll be helping your employee access the financial support they need during this important time.

Here are the UIF forms employers need to complete for maternity leave:

Find the UIF documents here.

• UI.19
  • Termination date in the case of maternity leave is the day you go onto maternity leave. Code 9 on this form is the reason for the termination.
• Barcoded UI.2.7
  • The dates must be filled in by calendar month. Thus if your maternity leave starts on the 12th of the month, it will look like this: 12 January to 31 January 1 February to 28 February 1 March to 31 March 1 April to 30 April 1 May to 12 May
• Salary schedule
  • It must start with the first day of employment up to the current date and reflect any increase in salary that you have had during this period of employment.
• Declaration letter
  • A letter of explanation is required from your employer to confirm that you are employed by them and that they contribute to UIF on your behalf. It has to be on the company letterhead and signed by the CEO. This letter must confirm your commencement date, dates of current maternity leave and any previous maternity dates, and the date you are expected to return to work. See an example template of this letter below.

UIF Declaration letter example

To whom it may concern I, CEO NAME, CEO and Founder of COMPANY NAME declare to the Department of Labour, that we pay the salaries to our employees before the 7th of each month. 

I confirm that COMPANY NAME pays UIF directly to SARS on a monthly basis.

I confirm that YOUR NAME, YOUR ID NUMBER, has been employed by COMPANY NAME since EMPLOYMENT START DATE.

This is the first time YOUR NAME has taken maternity leave since being employed at COMPANY NAME. The maternity leave will commence on DD/MM/YYYY and end on DD/MM/YYYY.

Date:

Signature:

Changes in Parental Leave: It’s Not Just for Moms Anymore

The landscape of parental leave in South Africa is evolving. Couples will soon be able to share parental leave, meaning both moms and dads can take time off to care for their new child. Instead of maternity leave being exclusive to female employees, both parents can share up to four months of parental leave. This change means employers must be prepared to offer parental leave to any employee becoming a parent. 

Thinking about how to look after your business when an employee is on maternity or parental leave is vital for the continuity of your business. 

In Closing

At RecruitMyMom, we understand the challenges you face when one of your employees goes on maternity or parental leave. We’re here to provide skilled talent or advice to help your business navigate this transition smoothly. If you need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to support you and your team with a vital resource to make the transition easy for everyone.