If you are pregnant or have recently had a baby, you will know that there are many wonderful aspects to bringing a new life into the world. However, if you have a career, it is likely that you will also be concerned about how becoming a mother can affect your ability to progress in your work, as well as how it will affect your ability to earn an income for your family.
As a worker in Pennsylvania, it is very likely that you will be protected under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA allows all covered workers to take unpaid leave for various types of medical or family-related reasons, without fear of retaliation.
How does the FMLA apply to new and expectant mothers?
The FMLA makes it a right for all pregnant and new mothers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave in a year. You can use this leave to take time off before and after the birth of your child. It would be illegal for your employer to take any form of retaliation against you for choosing to take this time off work.
In other words, you would have the right to make a legal claim if you believed that you were retaliated against in any way because of the fact that you took unpaid leave due to your pregnancy or parenthood.
It is important that you educate yourself on your rights under the FMLA as an expectant or new mother. By doing this, you will know when your rights have been violated, and therefore, will be able to take swift action.
