Feeling great but want to start mat leave at 29 weeks

[LiverpoolMummy89]

Hi, I'm currently 24 weeks pregnant and all is going well for now. I'm working from home at the movement and not sure when I'll need to go back to the office.

this is my second pregnancy and I can't complain much about how I'm feeling, however I really want to start mat leave at 29 weeks because work is a bit overwhelming. My boss was very unhappy about me being pregnant because it's so inconvenient to the business (I work in a team of 3) and found an excuse not to give me a promotion. My assistant is leaving in a month, which means it will put even more pressure on me.

Did I mention the third person from the team is leaving on mat leave at the same time?

I'm not planning on going back to work because I've been treated unfairly and my boss is a not very nice person but I dread telling them I'll be leaving soon and I bet I'll get a lot of questions about why I want to leave so early.

Any advice? I'm so stressed out that I feel sick and can't sleep at night (just tells you how great my current role is)

You have to do what's best for you and put yourself first! Don't even give it a second thought x

Personally I think I'd battle on for as long as possible now IF Iwas going to be looking for a new job at the other end, but if I wasn't I'd be tempted to start at 29 weeks if I was ok financially.

You literally say you'll be starting your mat leave at 29 weeks, and if anyone has the cheek to ask why, you don't have to tell them anything! If you like you can vaguely say you feel it's what's best for you, or you make something up about back ache making it difficult to sit at a desk/concentrate. You can say what you like because it doesn't matter. It's your right and they don't get to approve your reasons. Especially doesn't matter if you're not going back.

I did this and it was brilliant. It was the earliest anyone in the team had ever gone on mat leave so I did get a few confused reactions.

I made up some vague excuse about childcare for my older child and that I needed to be around more for nursery pick ups and drop offs.

If financially you can afford it, do it.
Otherwise, go on the sick and your mat leave will kick in at 36 weeks.

If you want to start at 29 weeks then start at 29 weeks!

Have they got a plan to recruit for your assistant?

How well do you get on with the other person who is starting mat leave at the same time as you? I'd be concerned if you are friends that this will be a Mammoth amount of pressure on her between 29 weeks and whenever she goes off.

I'd personally get signed off until mat leave automatically starts at 36 weeks. But I'd maybe wait until your qualifying week just in case your boss decides to make you "redundant" or something just beforehand. This would ensure your stat mat pay is still due, even if you are no longer employed.

You say you don't intend to go back to work, check on the terms of your contract as you could be asked to pay back maternity pay if you don't return for a specific period after your mat leave (in my job its a minimum of 3 months)

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz they're planning on recruiting someone and expecting me to fully train them . Not going to happen unless the new person starts next week! It took several months to train my current assistant

The other person that's starting mat leave at the same time as me is my boss' bff and is unqualified to be doing the position she's currently doing. There's no way she could take over any of my work.

@lawandgin I wouldn't be surprised if I was suddenly made redundant! I'll probably tell them when I'm of to mat leave a day before I turn 25 weeks!

@SouthwestSis nothing in my contract and I only get statutory not enhanced pay so I think I should be fine

Thank you all for your kind replies . I gave this company several years of my life and worked my four letters off. I wasn't treated very well ever since they found out I was expecting so I feel stupid to be worrying so much about what they'll think of me!

@LiverpoolMummy89 sadly I see it a lot in my job... I hope everything goes well for you

You don't need to give them a reason, just tell them when you're starting mat leave and that's that. If they get pissy with you then that's their problem, not yours. If you're already planning to not return then I suggest stop giving a shit about what they think and how annoyed they are, that is not your problem! And if they try to make life difficult for you in the mean time, just go off on sick leave until your maternity starts. There are no prizes for putting up with a stressful work environment or shitty bosses.