UM Cares - Staff
Information for staff with caring responsibilities
Pregnancy
Congratulations on your pregnancy! Below you will find information about having a healthy pregnancy at work, and for arranging pregnancy leave and maternity leave. Please speak to your manager and contact your HR advisor for support.
- Information about pregnancy leave and maternity leave
- Information about working during pregnancy
- Our leaflet about pregnancy for employees is available for download here (coming soon)
- Our leaflet about pregnancy for managers is available for download here (coming soon)
Parenthood
UM helps expectant and new parents to combine parenthood with working responsibilities. Below you will find some useful information; please contact your HR advisor for support.
When your partner gives birth, you are entitled to partner leave. In total you can take 6 weeks of partner leave. At UM, you receive 100% of your salary during this leave.
If you adopt a child or take in a foster child, you are entitled to leave.
If you are the parent or guardian of a child younger than 8, you are entitled to parental leave.
If you wish to continue breastfeeding your baby after you return to work, you may spend up to a maximum of 25% of your working hours per day on lactation, until your baby is nine months old. To do this, you can make use of one of the breastfeeding rooms around the university. There are also baby-changing facilities installed in several UM buildings.
In order to facilitate a smooth return to work after maternity leave, it is important to have childcare arrangements in place. A number of different types of childcare are available, so you can choose the type which suits you and your family best. Be aware that waiting lists may apply; it is usually advisable to register for childcare already before your baby is born. You can apply for a subsidy from the tax authorities for the cost of childcare.
If you are an academic member of staff on a tenure track, the tenure decision can be delayed in case of special circumstances (such as maternity or parental leave taken). Please refer to the Tenure Track Regulations.
Leave
Sometimes caring responsibilities will cause you to be absent during working hours. In such situations, you may be eligible for care leave or extraordinary leave. Please contact your HR advisor for support.
International staff
Welcome to the Netherlands! Moving from one country to another can be both exciting and stressful. Particularly if you’re bringing your family with you, you probably have many questions about practical matters. The Knowledge Centre for International Staff is ready to assist you. The Expat Centre Maastricht Region also provides services to internationals in Maastricht, and websites such as xpat.nl contain useful information about life in the Netherlands, for example what to expect of pregnancy and childbirth.