Work-life for females is very difficult when it comes to making and raising a family. Women in today’s world are empowered but still, the responsibility of giving birth and baby care is always shouldered by them. Across the world, people have acknowledged the courage and passion of a working woman, and therefore, she is given many facilities such as maternity leave.
Maternity leave is granted to a pregnant woman who needs to stay at home and take rest until the delivery time. Some companies give full pay leave while some pay partially. No matter how much a woman is paid, she is always expected to return to work once her leave period is over.
Unfortunately, sometimes the mother needs more time to stay at home and she cannot go back to work right after delivery. This happens when she has no one at home to take care of her newborn and some other situations also necessitate it for a mother to stay at home and give the necessary care and attention to her infant.
When a woman feels that she cannot go back to work because her baby needs more care of her, she applies for an extension in her maternity leave. In general, it is expected for a woman to return to the work one week after the delivery. During this period, she should write this letter and request her boss for the add-on in her leave. Make sure that you write this letter at least 15 days before the maternity leave ending date.
For the majority of the employees, it is very intimidating to ask for an extension from their boss. They fear being rejected or even getting terminated. It does happen in some cases that their boss terminates them from the job when he learns that the employee is not willing to return to work anytime soon. But a woman should never fear asking for additional leave if she is confident enough to write a letter persuasively.
Follow the instructions below to write a perfect request letter:
Start with giving the subject to the letter:
The subject suggests what kind of content has been added to the letter. You can compose the subject as ‘Request for maternity leave extension’’ or ‘’Extension in maternity leave is needed’’.
The subject should be short. It should be meaningful enough to convey the right message to the boss.
Give the purpose of the letter:
As soon as this request letter is started, you should provide the reason for writing this letter. Inform the employer that you are writing because you need an extension on the leave that was supposed to be ended (mention the last date of the maternity leave). You can also mention the starting date of the leave for the record.
Write why you need additional days off:
Now, when you have told your boss that you need more days off in a straightforward way, it is high time you give a reason for asking. This part of the letter needs some more details. You can tell what kind of circumstances you are going through. For instance, if you have given birth to a premature baby who needs more care, let your boss know about it.
Mention the needed extension duration:
Here you will tell your boss how many more days you want to stay with your baby at home. Refer to the policy of the company to know how long an extension you can expect from your employer.
Talk about your substitute:
A responsible person should always realize the trouble he will put his company in by not returning to work on the committed date. Some employees provide their replacement for the duration they want an extension. This way, they make their boss feel that they have a professional approach towards their work-life even though they are going through a family crisis.
Close the letter with gratitude:
As you close the letter, try to conclude with something very positive. This way, you will be able to convince your boss that you are not giving excuses and you genuinely care for your commitment to the company.
Sample letter:
It has been decided to extend your maternity leave upon receiving a request to extend your leave. The company is going to prolong your maternity leave for one month (from 14th November to 13 December).
We have come to know that you have gone through some health complications during delivery. Your child’s health is also not in good shape. We hope that this extension will help you spend more time with your baby and provide him with the necessary care.
We wish you and your baby good health and healthy life.
