Planning maternity leave
You're expecting a baby, but what should you expect when it comes to your job? You'll want to balance several facets of your life, your career, family and finances as well as your own happiness. There can be a lot of tricky decisions along the way. Laura Kalehoff, Executive Editor of Americn Baby Magazine helps you navigate the choppy waters of announcing your pregnancy and planning your leave.
When to tell your boss is one of the first questions to address. And the ideal timing is really up to you. Most women wait until they start the second trimester, around 12 weeks. At that point your risk for miscarriage is lower, and you may even start showing. When you're ready to tell, your direct supervisor should always be first. If your boss hears the news from someone else they might feel like they were kept out of the loop on purpose.
The way you tell your boss can be important. All your boss needs to know is your due date, not the details of your morning sickness. Give your boss some time to absorb the news and resist the urge to blurt out that you're definitely coming back...or definitely not. You may change your mind. Also make it clear that you're committed to your job and that you'd like to discuss particulars in a few months.
When planning your leave the first planning step shouldn't be to go straight to human resources. Talk to colleagues who recently went through the process first. Ideally she can explain the basics of your company's benefits in real terms, not human resources language.
Before you go to HR there are some things you need to know. The federal Family & Medical Leave Act entitles all eligible employees with 12 unpaid weeks with a guaranteed return to your job or an equivalent position. However, if you work for a small company with fewer than 50 employees, FMLA might not apply to you. Be sure to look into any vacation or sick time you've banked, you may be able to tack it onto your unpaid time off or use it to receive pay during part of your leave.
If you want more time off than your company offers try to strike a bargain. If you ask for 16 weeks rather than the standard 12, offer to be available on a limited basis from home for the last few weeks. This part of your negotiation may get thorny depending on your position and the culture of your company.
Aim for one week before your due date with some flexibility built in for your last day of work before leave. You may have to leave sooner for medical reasons or an early delivery. Or maybe you'll want to stick around the office until the last minute so you have more time off when the baby comes.
When preparing to leave give yourself time to organize your work before you leave. Craft a memo to your replacement and pack up any items you'll want to take home with you. Whether your boss has arranged an outside replacement or a colleague will be covering for you, take the initiative and contact that person before you go. If you're not sure if you'll be coming back to work, resist answering direct questions from colleagues about your plans. The person asking questions might be vying for your position or simply gossip hungry.
When you're on maternity leave don't over-promise to check in with work. The A+ employee in you may be tempted to promise your boss that you'll dial in to conference calls but this can easily cross the line. If you really want to stay on top of work, set clear boundaries before you go. For example, ask for 8 weeks of radio silence with an agreement that you'll check email after that. After you're home, you'll quickly figure out if your happiest remaining in your baby bubble or if you feel well enough to talk shop.
For more information on planning maternity leave and other parenting tips, click here.