Returning to work
You may be lucky enough to get paid maternity leave from your employer, or have arranged to take short term disability leave around the birth of your baby, but unless you and your partner work out your finances and decide you can afford to be a stay-at-home mom you’ll have to set a return date.
Extending your time off
Most moms use short-term disability leave as time off around the birth of their baby – it’s offered by some employers and unions and may be offered by your state. You can also arrange it privately. Six weeks is the normal period of time off (although it can go up to 12 weeks) and you’ll be paid a percentage of your salary.
If you don’t want to return to work so soon after the birth, you may be able to take additional time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act. This entitles some employees to 12 weeks off but you’re only eligible if the company you work for employs 50 or more people who live within 75 miles of the workplace, and may be denied the leave if you’re in the top 10 percent of wage earners and your employer can prove it would cause them economic hardship to cover your position while you’re off (see your maternity leave for more information).
Keep in mind that if you take family leave then decide not to return to work you may be asked to pay back any health insurance premiums your employer might have paid while you were on leave.
Flexible working
Have you considered asking your employer if you might be able to work part time? It gives you the best of both worlds, enabling you to spend some time with your baby while till earning a salary. If your job is something you could easily do via a telecommute your employer might be open to negotiation. See parents who work for more. Keep in mind though that part time work may affect your employer-provided health insurance if this is a benefit of your job.
Alternately, if you really can’t face leaving your baby you might want o consider working from home (though this will likely involve an element of childcare). See work at home moms for more details.
The information in this feature is intended for educational purposes only. If you have any concerns about your health, the health of your child or the health of someone you know, please consult with a doctor or other healthcare professional.
Comments 9 9
I work as a deputy store manager for a large retail company. All staff received an annual pay rise whilst I was on mat leave which I've now been assured I will receive after a 3 month appraisal. My biggest grievance now is that the young man who acted as my replacement was brought in on a higher rate of pay. Can they do this? He was no more qualified for the job and had less experience. I am now expected to do the same role with the same responsibilities for 60p an hour less. Even after my annual pay rise I will be earning less than he was. I don't understand why they don't have a structured payscale based on job role and store size. Surely this would mean these situations could be avoided. I'm waiting to hear back from head office to see if this can be resolved. Thanks for your advice, it's much appreciated
Well i have to be honest and say that i am shocked that it is a big company you work for as you realy would think that they would know what they are doing!!
I work as a HR manager for a big company and we have always been clear that if a general pay rise is applied then anyone on maternity leave must also get this. If you were receiving any pay while you were on maternity leave this should have been adjusted to reflect the increase from the time it came into effect. Honestly do not stand for the 3 month malarkey as you are legally entitled to get the pay straight away.
You can employ someone at a higher rate if there is a genuine reason for doing so (i.e they may have additional responsibilities etc) or if thy are at a higher point on an agreed grade for the job due to experience/qualifications etc but if not then it is dodgy. I am surprised that they would risk this with a male replcement as really if you wanted to make a big fuss it would be harder for them to defend.
I would never advocate being a trouble maker or raising unneccessary grievances with an employer but it sounds like they have behaved wrongly here. I am not sure whether you have raised it in writing but i would suggest doing so and then if you do not get a satisfactory response you can decide whether to put in a formal grievance. If you want to add some weight you could contact ACAS (they have a free helpline 08457 47 47 47) and they will confirm your rights for you, this can help to push your employer to be reasonable when faced with confirmation that they are in the wrong! Good luck!!
I don't think it is just your hormones! You are legally protected from suffering any detriment whilst you are on maternity leave or when you return to work. This basically means that if you are treated any less favourably (than people who have not been on maternity leave) you may be able to claim against your employer under sex discrimination legislation.
In terms of pay rises it would depend upon the type of pay rise(i.e did everyone get it). The legal position is that an employee on maternity leave ia entitled to benefit from any general improvement to pay and conditions which are introduced for her grade or class of work as if she had not been away.
Obviously i don't know what your job is or the company you work for but it all sounds very dodgy to me! I am happy to try and give you more specific advice if you can provide more info about your contract etc.
I work as a deputy store manager for a large retail company. All staff received an annual pay rise whilst I was on mat leave which I've now been assured I will receive after a 3 month appraisal. My biggest grievance now is that the young man who acted as my replacement was brought in on a higher rate of pay. Can they do this? He was no more qualified for the job and had less experience. I am now expected to do the same role with the same responsibilities for 60p an hour less. Even after my annual pay rise I will be earning less than he was. I don't understand why they don't have a structured payscale based on job role and store size. Surely this would mean these situations could be avoided. I'm waiting to hear back from head office to see if this can be resolved. Thanks for your advice, it's much appreciated
I have just returned to work after having my third child and am finding it very difficult. After nine months off I've discovered that my colleagues have had a payrise, resulting in less senior members of staff now earning more than me. To add to that, my temporary replacement was being paid 60p an hour more to do the same job!!! I have worked for the company for many years and am now feeling VERY under-appreciated. Am I right to feel so aggrieved or is it just hormones? I was looking forward to getting back to work but the situation has really made me angry. My employer has said that I will receive a rise in pay after 3 months subject to an appraisal.
I don't think it is just your hormones! You are legally protected from suffering any detriment whilst you are on maternity leave or when you return to work. This basically means that if you are treated any less favourably (than people who have not been on maternity leave) you may be able to claim against your employer under sex discrimination legislation.
In terms of pay rises it would depend upon the type of pay rise(i.e did everyone get it). The legal position is that an employee on maternity leave ia entitled to benefit from any general improvement to pay and conditions which are introduced for her grade or class of work as if she had not been away.
Obviously i don't know what your job is or the company you work for but it all sounds very dodgy to me! I am happy to try and give you more specific advice if you can provide more info about your contract etc.
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