Are you planning to resign from your job after taking maternity leave? About 18% of parents in the U.S. choose to stay home after having kids. But making a decision about returning to work (or not) can be tricky, especially before the baby is born. For some parents, the decision is made after the baby arrives, during maternity leave, and even then your decision may not be final.
It's not uncommon for new mothers to change their minds about their plans to return to work following maternity leave. If you have decided not to return to work after your baby is born, you'll need to submit a letter of resignation. Use the sample letters below as a starting point to help you write your letter.
Maternity Leave Resignation Letters
Use the first template if you have already gone back to work following maternity leave and have decided to resign. Use the second template if you are still on maternity leave and have decided not to go back. Just click the letter that applies to your situation to access the document. It will open as a PDF that you can edit, save, and print. If you need help downloading the letters, check out these helpful tips. Once you've opened the letter, click anywhere in the text to edit.
Template 1: Letter of Resignation After Maternity Leave
Going back to work after having a baby can be a tough transition. Many new mothers who return to work after maternity leave find themselves wishing they had chosen to stay home with their baby, and then decide to do just that. If this describes your situation, the sample letter below can provide you with a head start on drafting your letter of resignation.
Template 2: Letter of Resignation During Maternity Leave
Did you take maternity leave from work fully intending to go back to your job, but then changed your mind after the baby arrived? If you've decided you'd rather stay home with your baby than go back to work, it's important to notify your employer of your intentions in writing. When you're ready to write your letter of resignation, use the sample document below to help you begin.
Company Policies on Maternity Leave
Before turning in your resignation, it's important to be sure that you fully understand any company policies that may exist related to resigning during leave or shortly after returning. Review your company's current employee handbook and/or benefits booklets so that you are sure that you know all possible consequences associated with your decision. For example:
- Depending on company policy, failure to return from leave may be considered resignation without notice. This could impact whether you are eligible for rehire at some point in the future, as well as future references the company provides for you.
- If you are on Family Medical Leave (FML) and you inform your employer that you do not plan to return to work at the end of your leave, the employer no longer has to keep your health insurance in place. That means that you would have to go on COBRA coverage or lose your health insurance.
- Whether your maternity leave is covered under FML or not, it's possible that your company may have a policy that requires repayment of any health insurance premiums they paid on your behalf while you were on leave, if you don't come back or if you resign within a certain timeframe following your return from leave.
Regardless of the reason a person decides to leave their job, it's very important to provide the employer with proper notice of resignation. This is just as true when a person decides to resign after maternity leave as it is in other circumstances. The sample letters provided here will make it as easy as possible for you to draft a resignation letter to provide to your employer so that you can leave on the best possible terms.
