WIBU to apply for a promotion while on maternity leave?

[phloxpaniculata]

Large public-sector organisation. There are several positions being advertised currently which I reckon I'd be a good fit for. But, it would mean there'd be a 3-4 month gap between me getting the job and me starting the job.

As I understand the legal position, my being on maternity leave can't be factored in to whether or not to promote me. (I get informed about promotion opportunities while on mat leave after all.) There are definitely mechanisms for temporarily promoting someone else to cover gaps. However, from the perspective of the people doing the hiring, it would be lots easier to have someone who could start straight away.

My current job is great but the team is probably going to be dissolved not long after I return from mat leave and everyone in it redeployed to different areas. So I'd be looking for a new position anyway.

I want to go for it and start applying for the positions advertised now rather than waiting to see what's around when I go back. WIBU?

Do it!

Go for it! Shows commitment to return.

Go for it. You'll regret it if you dont.

Do it - what's the worst that can happen? You are expressing an interest in continuing your career development at least and I know a few people who have been promoted while on ML.

Definitely do it. I did the same while on maternity and I got the job. They just adjusted the start date. Good luck!

You should definitely do it. I did it and have also employed someone on maternity and waited for her. Combination of HR processes (delays) and notice periods can easily add up to 3/4 months where I work

Alot of senior roles people will have a 3, 6 or 9 month notice period anyway. Mine is 3, my partners is 12!

Doooooooo it!!!!

Good luck!

Go for it. I got promoted on maternity leave (NHS). As others have said, external candidates often have a 3 month notice period.

I did the same and got the job. Do it!

Of course go for it. Who on earth is voting YABU?!

My sister got her last job on ML. Admittedly she was fairly near the end of her leave but they still had to wait til she’d finished which I think ended up being about 4 months.

That’s quite inconsiderate to your employer. How would you feel if you were hiring a someone applied telling you that they couldn’t start for four months so you’d have to hire another person as well to cover that time? I would wait until you are actually in a position to take the position you are applying for (unless these positions aren’t time sensitive/would start when you get back anyway). To do otherwise would come across as quite arrogant.

Do it!

You have nothing to lose but everything to gain.

Good luck!

Do it. It’s a statement of intent as to where you see your career going. If you don’t apply, you definitely won’t get promoted. If you do, you might get promoted or at the least, you’ve gained valuable experience about what the process for getting promoted looks like.

The public sector is much more advanced and flexible on these things than the private sector. Go for it and best of luck.

Boggles

Have you never heard of people having to give notice?

Do you think pregnant women who are unemployed should not be allowed to look for a job?

If you were the right person for the job of course they would wait a few months for you! It's nothing in the grand scheme of things, go for it

Apart from people who are currently unemployed everyone has a notice period. 3 months is common! Even internal hires there needs to be succession planning. Go for it!

I was promoted on maternity leave, to a different part of the organisation. I was an excellent fit for the role and the team, and they actually waited nearly 5 months for me to be ready in the end. I went back slightly earlier than I wanted to (baby was 10 month old), but it all worked out well and we just tried to find the middle ground. Obviously they had wanted me to start sooner, but they obviously thought i was worth waiting for!

I did the same and got the job. As long as you're upfront about your situation I don't see a problem.

Boggles so do you suggest that people quit their job before applying for others because they couldn't start straight away others due to notice periods?

OOP - do it!

Absolutely nothing wrong at all in doing this. I say that as an employer.

Go for it and best of luck.

The only downside is that it will force you to think about work months before you’re due back so it may feel like it’s encroaching on your maternity leave. Will you feel resentful of that if you don’t get the job?

I’d recommend a cup of coffee with a work colleague before you apply to stay up to date and in case there have been changes since you left.

Good luck !!!

No harm in trying. If I was the person doing the hiring, whether I factored it in will depend on the position and how long I could wait - if it's really urgent and a candidate can start in 4 weeks that would be attractive obviously, though if you were the better candidate I would hope that it's possible to speak to you and offer the option of returning from maternity leave early if that's the only factor.

It's tricky because while some jobs can wait, others cannot - I discounted the two candidates on 3 months notice last time I hired because I didn't want to wait