Extended maternity leave a lifesaver for working moms
Josephine Katambo
What you need to know:
- Section 29 of the Employment Act 2007 provides for a minimum of three months (90 days) of maternity leave.
- During that period, the law mandates the employer to grant the employee paid leave.
Josephine Katambo was on maternity leave when she received a distressing email informing her that she had been retrenched. At that time, her firstborn daughter was just two months old.
With a newborn, she knew she had to get back to work swiftly. Luckily, she secured a job through her networks and immediately started a new role.
“It was a difficult experience, especially as a first-time mom. I appreciated that my former company paid for therapy to help us transition. I started when my daughter was three months old. It was challenging because I had to prove myself in a new job while also being a new mom,” she tells Nation.Africa.
Balancing a new job with the responsibilities of a new mother was incredibly challenging. She often felt overwhelmed and wanted to quit, confiding in her mother about the guilt she felt for not being there for her baby.
Although her employer was aware that she was a new mom. Josephine didn’t ask for additional leave because the company needed someone immediately and was going through changes that required her full attention.
“Honestly, when I started my career back in 2013, I didn’t think about getting married or having children. It wasn’t part of my plan at all. I got here by accident. Back then, my priorities were different, not focused on starting a family. I wish I had planned better because nobody tells you how challenging it is when you have children,” she says.
Her experience is similar to Faith Kimathi’s, who had one of her children when her employer was only offering the three-month statutory minimum maternity leave. She says she felt rushed, especially because she delivered via C-section and had to take care of two children while recovering from major surgery.
Faith Kimathi.
“When it was time for me to go back to work, I had to introduce solids earlier than recommended. Balancing work and ensuring my child was well taken care of was tough. I remember a colleague commenting on my lateness, which stung and made me feel inefficient,” Faith reminisces.
Today, Josephine, a marketing manager, and Faith, a human resource professional, work in a company that provides six months of paid maternity leave.
Josephine took advantage of this policy when she had her second child.
“It was a relief. It allowed me to bond with my second child and reconnect with my firstborn, who is six years old. It also gave me peace of mind because I didn’t have to worry about work. I had time to cook and take care of my family, which was a blessing,” she recounts.
For Faith, who went on maternity leave in 2022, her experience was better that time round because it enabled her to pay attention to her newborn and two children.
“I didn’t feel rushed and had sufficient time to establish a balanced household routine. I was able to gradually introduce my baby to the bottle and wean them at the recommended age of six months old, thanks to the extended leave. I had ample time to recover physically, and I was more present for my family. I could pick my children up from school and felt more focused at work, as my baby had adjusted to the bottle and solids,” she says.
How were they able to transition back to work after a six-month maternity leave? For Josephine, she planned her work with her line manager to account for the months she would be away.
When she got back, she reconnected with her manager and team, reviewed the past months, and contributed to the planning for the new financial year. She also secured quick wins to boost her confidence and reintegrate smoothly.
At home, she made sure her baby was comfortable with her absence by gradually spending more time away from home.
Currently, Section 29 of the Employment Act 2007 provides for a minimum of three months (90 days) of maternity leave. During that period, the law mandates the employer to grant the employee paid leave.
Although these are the statutory minimum requirements, some private sector players, such as East African Breweries Limited (EABL), have introduced a policy to extend maternity leave from three months to six months.
Annette Ngugi, a senior human resource professional at East African Breweries Limited (EABL), told Nation.Africa that they started by conducting an external benchmark on maternity leave benefits and support in April 2018. This included peer organisations, a number of which have a regional presence in East Africa.
They then settled on introducing a six-month maternity leave to provide their working mothers with the support framework that will enable them to transition effectively during that phase of their lives.
“In May 2017, a bill was introduced in Kenya to double the current maternity leave offering from three months to six months. Although the bill hasn’t been passed yet, it is a clear indication of the lobbyists’ intentions on this issue. Furthermore, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed for a period of six months,” Annette told Nation.Africa.
A World Bank working paper on “the Evolution of Maternity and Paternity Leave Policies over Five Decades” found that there are striking differences both within and between countries in how leave distribution for parents upon the birth of a child has evolved.
Another study titled “The Impact of Paid Maternity Leave on the Mental and Physical Health of Mothers and Children: A Review of the Literature and Policy Implications,” conducted by the Harvard Review of Psychiatry in 2020, found that paid maternity leave is associated with beneficial effects on the mental health of mothers and children, including a decrease in postpartum maternal depression and intimate partner violence, and improved infant attachment and child development.
This is why women who have benefitted from an extensive maternity leave policy like Josephine and Faith wish other employers would accord their working female employees the same privilege.
“Extending maternity leave adds immense value to the workplace because it allows mothers to return more focused and balanced. It benefits the company in the long run by supporting their employees’ wellbeing and enabling them to contribute more effectively upon their return,” Josephine says.
