After birth, the baby needs its mother. Both for nourishment and to get through the first period in a healthy way. For this reason, milk leave is practiced in many countries. However ,the duration of milk leave is an important curiosity for many parents . We researched what you need to know about milk leave. We looked for answers to the questions of how many days of milk leave and how to take milk leave..
What You Need to Know About Milk Leave..
Feeding a newborn baby requires complete dependence on the mother. Breast milk should be the baby’s main food for the first six months. Except in special circumstances, breast milk is the main nutrient and is invaluable for the baby’s development. For this reason, mothers who are employed by the state are granted leave for a certain period of time. The mother submits an application to her employer, who in turn gives her a certificate of approval for the leave. After that, maternity leave begins. The human resources or personnel department of the organization you work for should advise you on this matter.
How Many Days of Milk Leave?
The duration of the leave, also known as maternity leave, is 16 weeks in total. The duration of maternity leave is 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after the birth. This leave, which is 16 weeks in total, should be divided into two in this way. However, sometimes mothers may want to use all of their maternity leave after the birth by mutual agreement with the institution they work for .
How Many Days of Milk Leave in Multiple Pregnancies?
The breastfeeding leave for the mother of twins is longer than the leave taken after a single pregnancy. Breastfeeding leave for twin mothers is 18 weeks. Although the law states that the extra 2 weeks should be used before the birth, mothers can also use all 18 weeks after the birth in consultation with the institution they work for.
What are the hours of milk leave while working?
The milk leave hours of the mother who returns to work after her maternity leave is over are also among the curiosities of mothers. In our country, the mother who works until the baby turns one year old uses milk leave during the day. The mother is given 1.5 hours of breastfeeding leave per day. If the mother is away from her baby, she can also spend this leave resting or expressing milk. Here, the breast pump that the mother will take with her can make milking practical. Milk storage bags are also very practical for storing the expressed breast milk properly . Of course, the milk that has been expressed and put in the bag should not be left out in the open or in the heat.
Milk Leave for Public and Private Sector Employees
Nursing leave for mothers working in the public sector is different from nursing leave for mothers working in the private sector. According to the law, breastfeeding leave for mothers working in the public sector is three hours a day for the first 6 months and 1.5 hours thereafter. The leave is counted against the mother’s daily working hours.
When Can Milk Leave Be Used?
According to the law, the mother can decide when to take her breastfeeding leave. She can use her milk leave or breastfeeding leaveat any time during the day . Although the law stipulates that breastfeeding leave should be used daily, mothers can also use this leave in bulk by making an agreement with the institution they work for and their managers. Theanswer to the question of whether it is legal to use milk leave in bulk is “no”.
Can the Employer Deny Milk Leave?
according to Law No. 4857, a working mother in our country is legally entitled to breastfeeding leave. This leave cannot be perceived as a “gesture” offered to the mother by the employer. This issue is not at the discretion of the employer. So, what can you do if the employer does not allow you to use your breastfeeding leave?
As mentioned above, breastfeeding mothers are legally entitled to breastfeeding leave until the baby is one year old. If the employer does not comply with this law and does not allow you to use your leave, you can unilaterally terminate your employment contract according to the law. In this case, the employer must give you severance pay and other rights.