---
title: "Working While on Maternity Leave: How to Combine Childcare and Work"
country: KZ
lang: en
author: Сапа Т.И. (https://buhgpt.kz/authors/sapa-ti)
date: 2026-10-16
canonical: https://buhgpt.kz/suraqtar/rabota-v-dekrete-kak-oformit-sovmeshchenie-uhoda-za-reben-en
source: BuhGPT
---

# Working While on Maternity Leave: How to Combine Childcare and Work

> **TL;DR:** Working while on maternity leave is possible if a woman wants and is able to combine childcare with professional duties and the chosen arrangement is properly documented. For an accountant in Kazakhstan, what matters most is not informal wording but the documents: the employee

---

Working while on maternity leave is possible if a woman wants and is able to combine childcare with professional duties and the chosen arrangement is properly documented. For an accountant in Kazakhstan, what matters most is not informal wording but the documents: the employee’s application, the employer’s order, the terms of the employment contract, the timesheet, and the grounds for payments. The specific provisions and article numbers for 2026 should be checked against the current version of the legislation: the materials provided contain no confirmed provisions on this matter.
Employee on maternity leave: which status must be determined
The expression “employee on maternity leave” is used in different senses. It may refer either to an employee who is temporarily absent due to childbirth and childcare or to a person hired to replace her. These are different situations for HR recordkeeping purposes, so the accountant must first establish the actual status of each employee.
The following should be checked:
- what application the primary employee submitted;

- what order the employer issued;

- whether the employee has been fully released from work;

- whether the employee intends to return to the previous working arrangement or work under different conditions;

- on what grounds the replacement employee was hired;

- whether the information in the HR documents, timesheet, and payroll system is consistent.

The mere desire to perform individual assignments from home does not in itself determine the working arrangement. It is advisable to document the working conditions in writing before the employee actually begins performing duties. The document should specify the job function, schedule, method for exchanging work results, communication procedure with the employer, and payment terms.
If another person has been hired to replace the absent employee, it is important for the accountant not to combine their accruals or the HR grounds applicable to them. The return of the primary employee must also be reflected in the documents consistently: first, the date and format of the return are agreed upon, then the necessary HR decisions are formalized, and only after that are the timesheet and payroll calculations changed.
Working while on maternity leave: how to formalize the combination
In practice, the arrangements include remote work, part-time employment, performance of individual tasks, and a full return to the previous workplace. These options cannot be treated as interchangeable. Working time records, payroll calculations, and the required set of documents depend on the selected arrangement.
Before work begins, it is useful for the accountant and the HR specialist to go through a short checklist:
- Obtain a written request from the employee with a clear work commencement date.
- Agree on the working arrangement and workload.
- Check whether the terms of the employment contract need to be amended.
- Formalize the employer’s decision.
- Set up accurate timekeeping.
- Separate salary from other payments according to their respective grounds.
- Check whether the new status affects any previously issued documents.
Particular attention should be paid to actual work performed without proper documentation. If an employee performs tasks, participates in work meetings, and regularly submits results while continuing to be recorded as fully absent, the documents begin to contradict the actual situation. Correcting such a discrepancy retroactively is more difficult than agreeing on the working arrangement in advance.
For remote work, it is necessary to determine not only the place of work but also the practical procedure for interaction: how tasks are assigned, how their completion is confirmed, when the employee must be available, and who accepts the results. This reduces the risk of disputes concerning working time and the volume of work performed.
Maternity payments from work and salary: what the accountant should check
In everyday speech, the term “maternity payments” may refer to different payments. An accountant must not combine them into a single amount without analysis. First, it is necessary to establish the name of each payment, its grounds, the payer, and the supporting document. Salary for work performed must also be accounted for separately from payments related to maternity or childcare.
Before making the calculation, it is recommended to check:
- the period for which the accrual is made;

- whether the amount is a salary, benefit, social payment, or employer payment;

- which document confirms entitlement to it;

- who is required to transfer the money;

- whether the same period or grounds have been duplicated;

- whether the calculation corresponds to the working arrangement actually established.

It should not automatically be assumed that any work terminates all payments or, conversely, has no effect on them. Such a conclusion depends on the type of payment and the applicable rules. If an employee changes their working arrangement, the accountant should separately check the consequences for each payment using current official sources and retain confirmation that the review was conducted.
The query “maternity payments if you do not work” also requires the concepts to be distinguished. The absence of current employment does not in itself determine whether a person is entitled to a specific payment. The person’s status, the grounds for the application, and the documents may be relevant. A payment amount or a positive outcome must not be promised without verification.
What the employee and employer should do
The employee should preferably notify the employer in advance when and under what arrangement they wish to begin working. The application should avoid the vague phrase “return from maternity leave” and directly describe the request: the date, desired working arrangement, working hours, and whether the work will be remote or on-site.
The employer should compare the application with the documents issued previously and determine which changes are required. The accountant should verify that the HR decision is reflected in the records before the first accrual is made. If accounting software is used, the specific navigation path and document type must be selected based on the installed configuration and its version: there is no universal procedure without this information.
It is useful to keep the application, the employer’s decision, amendments to the contract if any, the timesheet, and payroll documents together as one set. If the schedule changes or the employee returns to work in full, the procedure should be repeated instead of relying solely on a verbal agreement.
Frequently asked questions
Can you work while on maternity leave? — The possibility and arrangement of work must be assessed under the applicable rules and the documented employment relationship with the employer. Before starting work, the working arrangement, date, and payment terms should be agreed upon in writing.
What does the expression “employee on maternity leave” mean? — It may refer either to the absent primary employee or to the person temporarily hired to replace them. The precise status of each person must be used in HR and payroll documents.
Will maternity payments from work continue after returning? — This depends on which specific payment is referred to as a maternity payment, who awarded it, and the grounds stipulated for receiving it. Each payment must be checked separately under the current rules.
Can you receive maternity payments if you do not work? — The mere fact of not working is insufficient to answer this question. The type of payment, the applicant’s status, the required documents, and the current eligibility conditions must be determined.
Is a verbal agreement to work from home sufficient? — For reliable HR and accounting records, it is better to document the conditions in writing. The documents must correspond to the actual schedule and work performed.
Sources
The materials provided contain no links to sources concerning work while on maternity leave.

---
_BuhGPT — ИИ-помощник для бухгалтеров Казахстана: https://buhgpt.kz_