A maternity leave letter of intent is sent to an employer by a worker who needs time off work to care for their newborn or adopted baby. This type of letter of intent for a job written by a father-to-be is referred to as a paternity leave letter.
The USA law, namely the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, gives both fathers and mothers who qualify under federal and state codes an ability to spend up to 12 unpaid weeks off to care for a newborn or adopted baby. The law gives them the guarantee of having their job back when the maternity or paternity leave ends. Some states also offer partially-paid maternity leaves.
The federal requirement is that to seek maternity or paternity leave, a worker should have worked at their company for at least a year, and the organization should have no less than 50 employees.
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A letter of intent for maternity or paternity leave should be written carefully to convince the employer that the worker is aware of the company’s policies as well as state and federal laws on time off due to maternity and paternity. It especially concerns future fathers as they typically have less leave time when compared to mothers. Here are some tips to follow:
Step 1 – Information about the father or mother and the effective date
The letter of intent should start with the information about the mother or father-to-be in the top left corner of the document. It should include their name and address. Then, the effective date of the letter should be written.
Step 2 – Information about the employer
The same information about the employer should be included in the free letter of intent template.
Step 3 – Opening
In the opening, the worker who seeks maternity or paternity leave should tell the purpose of the document.
For instance, it might say, “I am writing with the intention to inform you that I am pregnant and plan to take maternity leave.” Or, if a letter of intent is for paternity leave, it might start with, “I am happy to inform you that my wife, [name of the employee’s wife], and I will be parents of a new baby girl, which is why I request you to grant me paternity leave”.
Step 4 – Main body (first paragraph)
Next, the employee should tell the approximate dates of their maternity or paternity leave. It should be based on the estimations of the physician, and according to the law, a worker can get 12 unpaid weeks off work from this date.
The letter might say: “My physician has estimated that the baby will be expected from [approximate date of birth] and I would like to remain working until [start of the maternity leave period]. I intend to take 12 weeks off and provided that there are no medical complications, I would like to resume work at my current position of Middle Java Developer.”
Or a father-to-be might write: “My wife has been experiencing some minor complications and has been unwell for the past few days. Considering that we do not have parental support at the current moment, I would like to stay with her until the due date, and for the next few weeks after delivery. Therefore, I request paternity leave from [start date] to [end date].
Step 5 – Main body (second paragraph)
It is crucial to convey in a letter of intent that the employee took care of their tasks by delegating them to their colleague, if possible. The letter might state: “I have approached [name of the colleague] to take care of my most important tasks, and [he or she] agreed to take over my duties before I come back.”
Step 6 – Closing
In the closing of a letter of intent for maternity or paternity leave, the employee should tell that they can be contacted via email or by phone with any questions. The employee might also ask the employer to provide them with the list of forms or any other information they need to formalize their maternity or paternity.
The letter should end with expressing gratitude to the employer for letting take time off work to take care of the baby. The last things to include are the name and signature of the employee.
From: Lindsey Lorene
9645 Saxon Ave.
Plano, TX 75025
Phone number: +14844458179
Email: lindsey.l@gmail.com
April 4, 2021
To: Melissa Jones
Head of the Marketing Department
A&B Company
11 Shadow Brook Ave.
Houston, TX 77079
Dear Mrs. Jones,
I am writing to inform you about my pregnancy and intention to take the full maternity leave of 12 weeks. I intend to commence maternity leave on April 25, excluding any unforeseen issues regarding my pregnancy and delivery. My coming back to work is expected to be on July 25.
I intend to make every attempt to complete all my tasks before leaving and should be able to oversee my current project (Marketing strategy for X&Y company) from home. I will do my best to make up for any important meeting upon my return. In my absence, I plan to delegate my current tasks to Peter, my marketing assistant, who knows well the goals and specifics of the current project. He will be able to provide any details on the project during my time off.
I would appreciate it if you could allow me to take time away to prepare for my baby and adjust to life as a new mother. I have been working at A&B Company for three years and look forward to continuing my career here. If there is a need to be contacted for any reason, my email and phone number are placed at the top of this letter. Herewith, I attached the document confirming my pregnancy. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely,
Lindsey Lorene