On Oct. 28, 2019, teacher Emily Hockemeyer returned from maternity leave. Her leave lasted eight weeks, which is the average in Michigan.  Hockemeyer came back right before the end of the first marking period.

“The timing kinda wasn’t ideal,” Hockemeyer said. “Ideally I would’ve liked to start the school year and get to know my students before I left, but it’s out of my control.”

Hockemeyer has to get used to having a kid at home just as she has to get used to the new school year.

“I feel like I’m already back into the swing of things,” Hockemeyer said.  I feel like I’ve got it. It’s kind of like riding a bike. I’ve got it.”

Hockemeyer’s son, Jack, was born on Aug. 28. Jack is currently 10 weeks old. He’s starting to smile and he can now play with toys like rattles and can also interact with objects.

“It’s a little bit more fun being his mom now because there is a little bit more interaction,” Hockemeyer said. 

For more information about maternity leave, visit the Michigan Civil Service Commission’s maternity leave page. https://www.michigan.gov/mdcs/0,4614,7-147-68410_60360-340207–,00.html