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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

Boss asked me to work in maternity leave!!

21 replies

swanduck · 18/09/2012 12:41

I start mat leave in a few weeks and boss asked whether I would mind taking on a task that, "might spill over a bit into your mat leave but it's up to you...". Er, I do mind, it's leave. I said firmly "Happy to take it on until mat leave starts but will then hand back to you or someone else you nominate." "Oh, said said, "okay" but seemed a little surprised.

Just me or anyone else a bit about this? She makes out she's a big women's libber and then asks me to work in my mat leave.

OP posts:

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Tiago · 18/09/2012 12:45

Some bosses just don't get the concept of maternity leave I'm afraid.

GetOrfAKAMrsUsainBolt · 18/09/2012 12:46

I don't see it as a problem - she left it as your choice. She may have thought that if you start a project you might want to see it through until completion.

HowToChangeThis · 18/09/2012 12:48

Well you can have 10 keeping in touch days and after that you lose the entitlement to SMP as you are deemed to have returned to work so you are right to be cautious. Maybe you could point out that implication to her.

FWIW I was fielding calls from one particularly persistent colleague while I was in hospital after having dd. He just couldn't get his head around why I couldn't log on and show him how to do something.

Numberlock · 18/09/2012 12:48

How far in advance of your due date are you starting maternity leave?

atacareercrossroads · 18/09/2012 12:50

Sorry I think that's fine, she asked if you wanted to finish the project rather than just pass it on to someone else and risk upsetting you by doing so. I actually think thays quite refreshing, I wasn't able to get involved in any tasks before I went on mat leave as they needed continuity of one person managing them. I'd have really appreciated being given the choice.

swanduck · 18/09/2012 12:51

Starting mat leave 5 weeks before due date but point is I have decided to take leave from then not because I want to do work stuff, but because I want to do leave stuff.

OP posts:

LastMangoInParis · 18/09/2012 12:51

What GetOrf said.
She gave you the choice.
Some women would have no problem working into ML, but of course nobody should be expected to do so.
Why should the fact that your boss gave you a choice about this make her any less of a 'women's libber'? I would have thought that she's demonstrating her 'women's lib' credentials quite well by asking you what you want to do rather than presuming or prescribing.

elfycat · 18/09/2012 12:53

You can work 10 'keeping in touch days' and get paid (or not if you didn't want to be I guess) for them during mat leave. On day 11 your paid mat leave finishes and you're back at work. Those are days YOU want to work BTW, not work want you to.

I skipped off on maternity without a backwards glance. Sit down, swollen ankles up etc. Maternity leave is there for a reason and it's for you to rest and then get very busy and not have work pressure. Say you have plans for your leave (like get ready for a baby?).

elfycat · 18/09/2012 12:55

( I started maternity the first week I could too. Glad I did as DD made an early entrance at 36 weeks. Work weren't impressed by my lack of commitment but I had hyperemesis and just wanted to sleep)

Numberlock · 18/09/2012 12:58

I take it you have other issues with your boss...

She makes out she's a big women's libber

Can you give us some examples of what you mean by this?

atacareercrossroads · 18/09/2012 13:05

It's good she gave you the option rather than relegated you to the 'not interested in work anymore as she's going in mat leave' like. Makes a nice refreshing change to hear some bosses are not assuming mat leave means we leave our work brains in the office for the duration.

TheDoctrineOfSnatch · 18/09/2012 13:05

I agree - I think she asked in a nice way and accepted your answer readily.

Blistory · 18/09/2012 13:25

Attitudes like that make it difficult sometimes for women in the workplace. I absolutely respect and defend your right to maternity leave but for me, there's no doubt of the difficulties that parental leave causes us. A little bit of give and take goes a long way.

samandi · 19/09/2012 10:50

I think it's fine. She asked, you have 10 keeping in touch days in which you're allowed to work, and she accepted your answer. As other posters have said, isn't it nice to be given the choice?

BobbiFleckman · 19/09/2012 10:52

my (complete dinosaur sexist pig) boss asked me to do the same. Given that it fell within my KIT days, got me back into a work frame of mind before returning and gave me extra cash and some sanity, I did it happily. You've had the option, it's not cheeky at all and might be a useful way of easing yoruself back in to work.

BobbiFleckman · 19/09/2012 10:55

and have just read Blistory's post - can't agree more. There's a bit of a responsibility to yourself and "the sisterhood" to behave well & in fact go above & beyond the call of duty when returning from maternity leave - the way each of us treats it shapes attitudes towards the next person who walks in that boss's door and says they're off for an extended paid holiday. Never give them an excuse to think that it's anything other than a bloody good thing and that women are valuable workers.

iknowwho · 19/09/2012 10:58

Can you tell me again what the problem is?
She asked in other words if you could delay you mat leave to as a task might run into that time, you said no and she said ok.

Sorry I'm not

wildpoppy · 19/09/2012 11:02

Doesn't sound like she asked for maternity leave to be delayed but for op to work through her first few weeks of maternity leave ie not be on leave although using up leave allowance. I do think it's unreasonable to even ask as women then feel they have to or they are letting side down when maternity leave is a right. So the poster who says women should go above and beyond while on maternity leave also let the side down too. [ducks for cover]

iknowwho · 19/09/2012 11:05

Boss asked. Op said no
No problem.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 19/09/2012 11:08

Is she not surprised because you didn't take either of the options she offered? She said you could do the job if you wanted, but it might spill over into your leave, or you could turn it down. You went for a third option, to do it until you left and then hand it over to someone else. Maybe she just hadn't thought of that?

Numberlock · 19/09/2012 11:17

I do think it's unreasonable to even ask as women

Why is it unreasonable to even ask fgs?

Boss asks employee if they would like to take on an additional task. Boss explains it may spill over into their leave. Boss explains that is entirely up to the employee. Employee feels quite comfortable to decline. Boss accepts decision.

It comes down to teamwork and give and take, whatever the reason for leave. That's life.

No doubt the employee will need flexibility in her working routine when she comes back from maternity leave. Why not demonstrate that this will be a two-way process?

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