As I prepare to take maternity leave this year, many thoughts are flowing through my mind ranging from necessary preparations at work to financial considerations so my husband and I can focus on bonding with our little one.

Preparing for extended leave can be a lot to digest between the emotional side of taking a long break from work, and the logistical side of understanding what benefits are available. In this newsletter we’ll explore the aspects to consider as you prepare for your own leave.

When it comes to your rights, policies, and offerings available to you, the first aspect to be aware of is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA allows eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave with continuation of group health insurance. Eligible employees are entitled to:

12 weeks of leave in a 12-month period for:

• the birth of a child and to care for the newborn child within one year of birth;

• the placement of a child for adoption or foster care and to care for the newly placed child within one year of placement;

• to care for the employee’s spouse, child, or parent who has a serious health condition;

• a serious health condition that makes the employee unable to perform the essential functions of their job;

• any qualifying exigency arising out of the fact that the employee’s spouse, son, daughter, or parent is a covered military member on “covered active duty;” or

26 weeks of leave during a 12-month period to care for a covered servicemember with a serious injury or illness if the eligible employee is the servicemember’s spouse, son, daughter, parent, or next of kin (military caregiver leave).

Second, consider state-led programs or laws. Presently, 13 states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington) and the District of Columbia have enacted Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) laws. Although only 9 states and D.C. have policies currently in effect. Policies in Delaware, Minnesota, Maine, and Maryland will take effect in 2026.

Rules and benefits surrounding PFML are different depending on the state, but Paid Leave Oregon allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks in a 52-week period for family, medical, or safe leave. If pregnant, an employee may be eligible to take up to 2 more weeks for a total of 14 weeks – exciting news for me and the little one on the way! Employees can choose when and how to take time off and will be paid a percentage of their normal wages. Paid Leave Oregon also protects the covered employee’s job if they’ve worked for the same employer for at least 90 consecutive days.

Another interesting feature with Paid Leave Oregon is your leave doesn’t need to be uninterrupted. For example, if you have a medical condition and need to take a day off each week for treatment over the course of several months, you may still be eligible for paid leave benefits.

Third, consider benefits available through your employer such as your sick-days, vacation days, paid-time off benefits, other extended-leave benefits, and possibly short-term disability.

Aside from benefits available through government programs or your employer, consider what your part of the financial preparations will be. Assuming you have time to plan, build sufficient savings for your leave. This includes enough to pay for your bills and other recurring expenses. Also consider any special trips, seminars, workshops, or other activities you might want to pursue while you’re off work. Bring your own baby yoga classes – here I come! Crafting a good budget so you truly understand your inflows and outflows will be a critical tool.

In the event your leave is unexpected, your emergency reserves will come in handy. As a rule of thumb, we encourage people in a 2-income household to have 3 months’ worth of expenses saved in emergency reserves. For folks in a 1-income household, we encourage having 4-6 months’ worth of expenses saved.

After preparing financially, another crucial aspect to consider is preparing your co-workers and colleagues for your time off. Make sure you set up your clients and overall team for success. Consider how and to whom you will hand off your roles and responsibilities. This will help ensure the transition goes smoothly at work and at home. If you know your work is being taken care of and you can trust your team, it will help you take a step back from work and focus your energy elsewhere.

Consider what your goals are for your time off and what you aim to achieve, especially if you’re taking a sabbatical. Set realistic expectations of what you’ll achieve during your leave, so you feel prepared and energized when you return to work.

For example, perhaps one of your goals is to connect with your family. What does this look like? Does it look like more family dinners, game nights, possibly a family vacation? Is it more one-on-one time with individual family members? Even though you’ll have plenty of availability, how will you fit this into your family’s schedule?

When planning for a sabbatical, be sure to also prioritize fun and consider how you can grow personally and professionally. Go on that camping trip you’ve been aching to take. Attend that sports game, concert, or art class you never seem to find time for. Evaluate if there’s something deeper to explore like re-connecting with yourself and what drives you. Think about what you want your life to look like and steps you can take to get there, especially after the sabbatical ends.

If a sabbatical interests you but you aren’t sure where to begin, our team at TenBridge Partners is all about helping people find confidence and clarity in their lives, financially and beyond. We help people enjoy today while honoring tomorrow. Something that seems unrealistic can become reality, but it all starts with a plan.

Citations

“Family and Medical Leave Act.” DOL, www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Paid Leave Oregon, paidleave.oregon.gov/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Williams, Ward. “Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) by State.” Investopedia, Investopedia, 12 Jan. 2025, www.investopedia.com/paid-family-and-medical-leave-by-state-5089907.

About TenBridge Partners

TenBridge Partners is an independent financial planning and investment management firm based in Portland, Oregon with a simple focus of honoring the fiduciary responsibility of putting clients first.

Planning is central to everything we do. Our focus is on a complete understanding of a client’s and potential client’s needs through the financial planning process, before we move forward with anything else.

We bring clarity and confidence to an otherwise confusing financial world.

We are about people.

From the desk of
Sirra Anderson Crum CFP®

The information contained in this correspondence is intended for general educational purposes only and as a means for facilitating a conversation.  Please consider our door always open to discuss your particular situation and how this information might benefit you and fit your specific needs.