The foundations for a smooth return are understanding where work and family fit into your own life and knowing your rights. I've been sacked because I'm pregnant. I asked last year because I wanted a year off before going back to work and was told that I would get company pay as normal but statutory maternity pay would depend on the amount I had got paid between both lots of maternity leave. 6 Returning to work I’m pregnant – what happens next? I had been working consistently for two years in your company. The right to return to an altered schedule or part-time work Upon returning from maternity leave, women must be treated the same as workers who take a leave for a temporary disability. Same job, same terms and conditions. I will be working 4 days a week. Here are a few tricks that have worked for me. “Given the right scenario, I would say this can happen to anyone,” says [memory expert Dr. David Diamond]. Thanks for the awesome post! On your return from maternity leave, you have the right to return to the same job you had before. When you going to buy a breast pump try to get the double electric pump. Why? Can I get time off for antenatal classes as a temporary agency worker? Some doctors estimate it takes 6-10 weeks just for your uterus to get back to pre-pregnancy size, let alone the rest of your bits and pieces. After Abby was born and I returned to work, I let myself drown in obligations to other people. Get to know each phase of your cycle to get pregnant faster. great article, kelly! You are just about to start on one of the most exciting and rewarding life transitions there is! By Kelly Holmes| This content may contain affiliate links. Awesome post! If you return to work between the two periods of leave – even if it is just for a day – and then only take Ordinary Maternity Leave after the birth of your second child, you will have the right to return to the same job. “It’s very difficult to keep in your mind that you want to override your habit system,” Diamond says. I can’t believe it’s coming up so soon…whew! Stay up to date with the TUC and get the latest news and get early access. What rights do I have which will help me to do this? I know he will be totally fine but it’s so hard to relax about it and not get anxiety or emotional. The Employment NZ website has guidance to help employees and their employers prepare their return to work. However, if you do not return to work (or do not return for very long) you may not earn enough to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for your second period of maternity leave. I recently heard that you should put your shoe in the backseat next to baby instead of your purse because even a purse can be forgotten but you’re likely not going far without both shoes! However, if you don’t qualify, you are likely to qualify for Maternity Allowance (MA) instead. Then you’ll feel like crap because it’s been WEEKS since that tot popped out of you, and you still aren’t back to “normal.”. Time saved in the morning is more sleep for you. I wish I had read this 3 weeks ago. Run through your new routine and work out the kinks. If you do return to work then you have the same rights to time off for ante natal appointments, health and safety risk assessments and to return to the same job. 4 Returning to work My employee has told me she’s pregnant Finding out one of your employees is pregnant need not be a daunting or negative prospect. “And it can take over almost immediately.”. So I started saying no at work. Reconnect with the Office If it's been some time since you've thought about work, do … If your earnings are high enough in approximately weeks 18 to 26 of your pregnancy you can get Statutory Maternity Pay for your next baby. What time off work am I entitled to in relation to maternity? The more preparation you do before going on maternity leave the easier you will find it to return. I work part-time. Will I have the same job when I return from maternity leave? Iron it and check for spit-up stains. If you’ve taken more than 26 weeks. I'm not entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay. Most moms have a lot of emotions about returning to work after having a baby—some of them conflicting. How much can I expect in Statutory Maternity Pay? My eyes would drift down to the baby, anxious to make sure I hadn’t accidentally let her head loll forward and smack into the table, and also just to see her sweet little face because I missed it. Statutory Shared Parental Pay is capped throughout at the rate of £148.68 per week or 90% of your earnings if less (April 2019). (Special thanks to my friend Stephanie for sharing this tip with me when I was a brand new mama. You’ve been on maternity leave for 26 weeks or less You’re entitled to return to the same job after maternity leave if you’ve been away 26 weeks or less. Check out these tips for the best postpartum clothes, and treat yourself to a few new pieces. Like “You need to sleep, you little turkey lurkey” and “Did you make a popo?”. No, despite petitions to lengthen the amount of time you get on maternity leave, there have been no changes made. Everyone was obviously speculating but let them. Protecting your job during pregnancy or parental leavehas more informa… You may decide to share some of your second leave with your partner if you both qualify, under the Shared Parental Leave scheme. I’d pull my eyes back up to my friend’s face, a little sheepish for having looked away. Returning to work for at least the eight week qualifying period for SMP may boost the pay you receive for your second maternity leave period. Assuming you’ve already got childcare squared away and started pumping, here are some less obvious details to consider for your back-to-work checklist. I am already on maternity leave. Join my mailing list and as a bonus, you’ll get 25+ incredibly helpful cheat sheets that will ease your parenting struggles. Good luck when you start back! My partner is pregnant and I am a temporary agency worker. Be sure to discuss the logistics with your provider ahead of time. That’s a great idea to come back during a holiday week. Pick a day near the end of your leave to test out your new schedule. Kelly, thank you for sharing your thoughts! Thinking outside the status quo box could save you some serious money AND give you more time with your sweet babe. For various reasons, I didn’t tell anyone until 16 weeks and I only told my team around 23 weeks. I like to add a bonus tip to this. Returning to Work After Maternity Leave: 10 Ways to Make It as Painless as Possible. Leave cannot begin more than 11 weeks before your expected week of confinement. My son will be in childcare 2 days and home with his daddy 2 days . Maybe you’ll find that you need 20 minutes, not 10, to feed your baby. And probably also for saying “popo.”. But as an excuse to treat ourselves to a $5 tea-based drink and food with absolutely no nutritional value, I’ll take it. What should I do? Do check your maternity pay entitlements carefully, and your rights on return to work, if you plan to take consecutive periods of leave. Your maternity leave does not break your continuity of employment, so you have the same right to take maternity leave and receive maternity pay as with your first pregnancy. My employer says I'm not eligible for maternity pay as I'm a worker rather than an employee. Going back after maternity leave is TOUGH but survivable! Laying the foundations for a smooth return early on, will facilitate an easier transition back into the workplace after maternity leave. Keep it in the backseat with baby. Can I do any work for my employer while on maternity leave? You can ask your employer informally if you would like a temporary change to your working arrangements. This is great and really helpful including the article on saying no. I get scared he will forget who I am. It will cut half of your sucking session. Share your tips in a comment below! You're not legally required to return to work after maternity or paternity leave. Read through these tips to arm yourself BEFORE you get a bazillion people dumping work on you during your first week back in the office. Am I entitled to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP)? Do I have to take maternity leave, even if I don't want to? My patience was razor thin, and my temper bubbled right at the surface, ready to spill over. Is your boss willing to let you try out some flexible work arrangements? Do I have to repay my maternity pay if I don't go back to work? Is this right? I don’t know why, but I just HATE pumping. “It has nothing to do with how much parents love their kids. Every employer I’ve worked for has had that one woman who quit after maternity leave (or a week or two after coming back), and people are still talking about it with derision years later. Then use those couple half-days you worked to cut down on your hours a bit the next week. You also have the right to request flexible work arrangements, such as part-time-work. Remember, though, you accrue holiday as normal throughout maternity leave so you should take the holiday in between the two lots of maternity leave. If you use additional maternity leave, you still have the right to return to your job on the same terms as before you left. What can I do? Reorgs, changes in leadership, a shift in priorities for the department? You may feel sad to leave your baby. If you’re nursing, the best thing you can do for your baby when you return to work is to make sure you’ll be successful with pumping. My contract of employment does not make clear my entitlement to maternity leave and maternity pay. According to the EEOC, any women returning from maternity leave must be treated the same as other workers allowed leave for a temporary disability. Can I get time off to accompany her to her first scan? If they tell you to use the bathroom, tell them to take a hike. I want to carry on breastfeeding my baby for as long as possible. This also applies when you come back after Additional Maternity Leave (the last 26 weeks of your Statutory Maternity Leave). That alternative job must be on no less favourable terms and conditions, with seniority and pension rights unaffected. You may also want to take advantage of Keeping in Touch (KiT) Days during your leave. If you’re nursing, check out 6 Secrets to Success for Breastfeeding at Work. (Hers was better. Most women are able to qualify for some maternity pay for the next pregnancy. What notice do I need to give if I want to take maternity leave? Anything you can do to make pumping easier is worth doing. Can I take time off for IVF appointments? Can I take time off work to attend antenatal classes? However, if this is not successful, you should make a formal request for flexible work. Are my maternity rights different from those of full-time workers? Assuming you’ve already got childcare squared away and started pumping, here are some less obvious details to consider for your back-to-work checklist.The list is a mix of things that worked well for me when returning to work after maternity leave AND things I wish I’d done the first go-round.. 1. I wanted to share what I have found with other moms who face similar dilemmas. Side note: If your childcare provider is near your workplace, consider leaving during your lunch break to feed your baby. Thanks for adding your feedback. If you need to shave some time from your getting-ready routine, try setting out your outfit the night before. Tips for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave If you're approaching the end of your maternity leave , here are some tips to help prepare you to return to the workforce. If you’ll need to be in the office by 8:00 am, set the alarm for when you’ll need to get up. Do not feel pressured to return to a different role or take your maternity leave at a time that is more … But if it’s not possible because there have been significant changes to the organisation, you could … Call your HR department before you go back and ask if lactation rooms are available. I have pretty much cried every day for the past 2 weeks because I don’t want to leave him. You must take at least the first two weeks of your second maternity leave (four weeks if you are a factory worker). Every night I was stressed about all the things I had to get done that evening after she went to bed – which was pretty much every night – I rushed through story time at bedtime, skipping sentences and sometimes entire pages when I thought I could get away with it. Can I return to my old job after maternity leave? Enjoy bite-sized activities delivered to you every week. I’ve made some bonehead moves, like showing up to the grocery store, going to get my baby out of the carseat, and realizing I never buckled her up. However, if you do not return to work (or do not return for very long) you may not earn enough to qualify for Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for your second period of maternity leave. And a little less stress is something every mama needs. Here are some less obvious details to consider for your back-to-work checklist. Granted, I am a little on the socially awkward side to start with, but clearly I need to clean up my act before I go back to work in just a couple weeks. It’s easy to assume that everything’s going to be back to normal when you return to work after maternity leave. Sound good? Do I get maternity pay for both? Or you could discover that getting to the daycare in rush-hour traffic takes twice as long as you thought. What are my employment rights as an employee? Oh wait, grown-ups are supposed to make eye contact. Your maternity leave does not break your continuity of employment, so you have the same right to take maternity leave and receive maternity pay as with your first pregnancy. A few things you might want to pick up before the big day: If you plan to keep breastfeeding after you go back to work, check out 6 Secrets to Success for Breastfeeding at Work for more essentials you’ll need. More specifically: Change where you PUT your purse or wallet in the car. I’m a mom of four, a recovering perfectionist, and the author of Happy You, Happy Family. Udeh did not return to work for Winn-Dixie and drew unemployment benefits for 18 months before returning to work at another employer. Parenting is hard enough without all the guilt we heap on top of ourselves. You just need a clean, private room with a power outlet. for your body to get to where it is, so be patient while it finds its way back – and it may settle in a different spot than where it started. I am pregnant. The first – in the primitive, “reptilian” part of the brain – directs our habits. Inside: Returning to work after maternity leave? Have there been any changes you need to be aware of while you were out? Organisations must support diverse routes back into the workplace following maternity leave, experts have said, after a survey revealed less than a fifth of women feel confident returning to work after having a baby. A U.S. Census published in 2011 reported that 22% of first-time mothers quit their jobs either while they were pregnant or 12 weeks after their child's birth. That will lighten the mood, and you won’t run into people who assume you’re back and start emailing you about all the stuff they want you to do. You must give your employer eight weeks’ notice if you want to return to work earlier or later than your agreed date. What happens if I am not well enough to go back to work at the end of my maternity leave? As a working mom of a toddler and infant with a full-time job outside of the home, I have learned a few things about the return to work after maternity leave. It’ll save you a pump session and give you time to bond with your baby. You may feel relief to … It was the perfect way to honor the Royal Baby’s birth week, although we didn’t talk about the Royal Baby. There is a similar arrangement under the Shared Parental Leave scheme, known as ‘SPLIT’ days. Check out her awesome family dinner ideas here.). Suddenly, I would hear myself saying – in a regular voice for everyone around me to hear – the things I say to my baby when no one else is around. If you decide not to come back from leave, your employer has a right to seek reimbursement of any money it paid to keep your health benefits in place. Do fathers-to-be get time off to attend ante-natal appointments. What are my rights? Submit . I go back to work next Thursday, going to do a couple dry runs first. 9 Tips for Returning to Work After Maternity Leave. Once I'm on maternity leave, do I have to let my employer know that I'm returning to work? Women not returning after leave is (I think) a reason many companies don’t offer good maternity leave benefits, or offer a stingy benefit. It’s written in our biology that we must be there for our children, and it’s still believed by some of society that it’s a lady’s place to be stuck at home doing dishes while daddy goes off and meets all the people and does all the things. That could mean getting the key to an empty storage room or having a lock installed on your office door. If not, ask if they have ideas for how to accommodate your needs. Sample Joining Letter After Maternity Leave Rejoining Letter after Maternity Leave. For more tips on breastfeeding after you return to work, check out 6 Secrets to Success for Breastfeeding at Work. What happens to my Statutory Maternity Pay if my job ends? Having a practice day will help remove some stress on that first day back in the office. Here are 5 childcare ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Your pay and conditions must be the same as or better than if you hadn’t gone on maternity leave. If you’re returning after more than 26 weeks’, you still have the right to return to the same job unless your employer … The danger is that you get on auto-pilot, baby falls asleep and doesn’t make a peep, and you drive from home to work without stopping at daycare first. If it is not reasonably practicable, your employer may offer you a suitable alternative job. I just followed you on Twitter – looking forward to connecting there too! If you intend to go back to work after your parental leave, and your job was kept open, you have to write to your employer at least 21 days before your leave ends and advise them that you intend to return to work. See if your childcare provider will let your baby ease in as well. A breast pump is a blessing for working moms like us. Tomorrow is my first day back at work. It is, to me, a tragic way of learning how the brain works.”, Each of us has dueling memory systems, Diamond explains. Stressing out about whether I’ll have enough milk for the next day, cleaning all the little nooks and crannies of the pump parts, etc, etc. Every time I stayed up til 1:00 am catching up on work email because I had too much work to do during the workday, then woke up at 6:00 am to get us ready for the day – I wasn’t on my A game for Abby. If your first maternity leave ends before the 11th week before your next baby is due or before the date you wish to start your next maternity leave you will need to return to work for the interim period. wishing you best on this next leg of your journey! I've got two part-time jobs. Unless you are required by contract to stay in your job for a certain amount of time, you’re an at-will employee and are legally entitled to quit. I met a friend for afternoon tea this week. You have the right to return to the same job after ordinary maternity leave. , a recovering perfectionist, and my temper bubbled right at the end of my leave. 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