^this Managing a maternity leave is much different from the 'getting hit by a bus' scenario. if you have a key man risk and lose someone due to accident or resignation, you hire and deal with the pain of getting them up to speed. With maternity leaves, you're legally required to maintain that position for the person to come back to. Hiring a permanent staff isn't an option usually. Contractors are best bet, however for 1 month maternity leaves; it doesn't leave much time for the contractor to become proficient/worthy.