maternity leave

American  

noun

1. a leave of absence for an expectant or new mother for the birth and care of the baby.

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maternity leave British  

noun

1. a period of paid absence from work, in Britain currently six months, to which a woman is legally entitled during the months immediately before and after childbirth

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Etymology

Origin of maternity leave

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Begg took three maternity leaves of around six months in the space of five years, returning to work each time in a four-day week capacity.

From BBC

To really boost births, small companies have to guarantee benefits like marriage and maternity leave first, Du said.

From Barron's

Miranda, a nurse, is already thinking about what happens when her maternity leave ends.

From BBC

Perhaps her manager didn’t want to fill Struthers’s inbox while she was on maternity leave.

From The Wall Street Journal

She said that while on maternity leave, money was tight and she was finding it hard to keep her toddler entertained without spending too much money.

From BBC