How To Take Maternity Leave When You’re Self-Employed
Let me start by saying, maternity leave when you’re self-employed is a whole thing. I started making plans for my second leave well before I was even pregnant because honestly, I wasn’t sure it was going to be possible and I don’t want any other women to have to stop their family short because they don’t think that it’s possible to run a business and have a baby. There is always a way! We just have to get creative and plan way, way ahead.
Every business and family are different which means that what I’m doing won’t be the same as you but my intention with this blog is to share my plans and what I’ve seen other self-employed moms doing, in hopes that it helps inspire you to shape your own maternity leave plans if and when that time comes. Also, these same tips could be used even if you’re not expecting a child but need time to care for another family member or take a well deserved mental health leave.
#1 Check for any state or federal leave options
I will never get over how lucky I feel to live in Massachusetts, a state that offers up to 5 months of paid family leave for mothers, fathers, and self-employed people! I know there are not a lot of states that have this but it’s very much worth your time and energy to check into any and all possibilities. I first heard about the self-employed leave option through a networking group on Facebook so make sure to use your network and get all the information you can.
There will be a lot of paperwork involved and you have to pay into the leave system for a certain period of time before being able to take it which is why this is a good place to start in your leave planning journey.
#2 Crunch the numbers and timeline
Getting clear on exactly how long you want to take off and how much money you will need to cover that time will give you a clear picture of where you need to go. Having this figure in mind can help shape the how of your maternity leave and hopefully open you up to some creative possibilities. As I mentioned above, I get to use our state’s paid leave option but that only covers around 60% of my income so it didn’t mean I was done planning for my leave. This could be a great time to have a consultation with a trusted financial advisor so you feel clear and confident in your numbers and options.
#3 What are your industry options?
Next is to get clear on what your options are from a business perspective because every industry and business is different. I would use your network to talk to other moms in your industry and see what they did. I would also talk to some moms outside of your industry because you might find new, creative ways to take a leave and still get paid. Here are some ideas:
Coming up with a passive income opportunity.
Keep in mind passive income streams like template shops or online education courses can take well over a year to yield meaningful results. Passive income streams take time to plan, build, and get traction so make sure that whatever you pick is something that connects well to your brand and is something you know that your audience would benefit from. Intentionality is critical here! If you do find a great opportunity and have the time to set it up, passive income can be such a breath of fresh air and provide the exact freedom and income you need to take maternity leave and raise your tiny human(s) in the years to come.
Front loading or batching your work ahead of your leave.
This option made sense for me and my industry as a service provider. I knew that I would be able to batch work for my monthly marketing clients, take on extra website work, and be able to fill those gaps that the paid family leave option left.
If you have a fast paced or high work volume already, I would not suggest this option. Being pregnant pushes the human body to limits unheard of so I don’t encourage this time period being your hustle season. For me personally, I operate on an extremely flexible and slow schedule because it’s what I needed to sustain my mental health, family, and business when I had my first son. This means that an increase in work for me is not pushing me past limits but rather creating a little more fire and excitement to my schedule.
You can read more about my journey with mental health and how I plan to work with a baby at home on this blog.
Working yourself out of the day-to-day through delegation.
I work with a lot of powerhouse women who forget that they’ve hit all of their financial goals and then some. The hustle has become so embedded into their daily life that now, when it comes time to plan for a new season like motherhood, it can be really easy to forget that you’re in a position to delegate and essentially hand off your day-to-day job tasks. Sometimes you have to ask yourself, when is enough, enough? Am I going to hold myself accountable to stop working as I intended, delegate my busy tasks, and become the present, self-employed mama that I wanted to be?
It might not be possible to fully pause your work for an extended leave, but it is possible to start delegating tasks and releasing that tight grip so that you can get to the place where you have the time and flexibility that makes maternity leave and motherhood feel more doable without sacrificing your wellbeing or presence with your family.
I hope this information has helped you start to shape some ideas as to how you can run a business and take maternity leave. We self-employed moms are paving a new way for working and living and I’d love to hear if you have something to add to the conversation. Find me on Instagram @designwithmeghan and send me a message!