Advice for telling work I'll be off again..

[KirstieKaren]

Just looking for reassuring stories really as I've managed to get myself in a bit of a state anticipating my work's reaction to the fact I will be back at work for approx 6 months after my 52 week maternity leave before I plan to have another 52 weeks off...
I've also been told by several family members that I'm taking the piss and should just quit now. I feel strongly that I'm entitled to the leave so I'd be silly to turn it down. BUT.. the worry is still there, especially about how my team will react to the news and how I have to work with them for 6 months after such a long break and then knowing it's only temporary!
Any advice very welcome :) KK

Is this because you're having another baby? x

Yes. Sorry, I had thought that was clear!

You're entitled to it so you'd be mad to quit.

Yes you are entitled to do back to back maternity leaves, but also your employers and colleagues are going to be pissed off and theres probably no way around it. So be prepared.

Best thing is to just factually tell them as you would have done the first time and accept the fact it probably won't be a great 6 months as, depending on what work you do, there probably isn't much you can get stuck into before needing to hand it back over.

I'm in the exact same position except I would have been back for one month before going off again! I was nervous at first but then I thought - why? It's no different (in my opinion) than coming back for a few years then going off. If anything I'm helping them by getting it all out the way in one go

Yes they'll probably be annoyed but there's nothing they can do about it.

My friend had to tell her work she was pregnant again on her first day back🙈

It is awkward but there's nothing much you can do, just one of those things.

Ha! I had to do the same but I only returned to work for three months between periods of maternity leave. You can imagine how that went down!

So, you aren't taking the proverbial, you're entitled to it. Don't quit, whatever you do.

As for your team, you'll just have to brazen it out and tell them. You might get a raised eyebrow or two, but it'll be fine.

My employer and team members were OK. In fact, they kept on the person who covered my first maternity leave so she was able to slot in again when I went off for the second time.

I was back for 9 months between my leaves.

No one said anything and tbh I think they were expecting it.

Don't give it too much head space and don't quit your job.

Someone in my team did this and I didn’t mind at all, I was pleased for her. I got someone into cover her (again) and she’s now been back nearly two years and is still the fabulous employee she was before her two maternity leaves.

What is it you are anticipating they will do? What reaction are you scared of?

Shouting? Throwing things? Crying? Firing you? Being snarky? Surprise? Mild annoyance?

How realistic is it that they will do whatever you're afraid of? Not very, probably.

Chances are their reaction will be better than your unsupportive family.

I work in the NHS and it's actually quite common for women to return from Mat leave pregnant with another child. I've never heard anyone say anything negative about it. Please don't worry about it.

I left it quite late to tell anyone second time round (wfh do to covid made that easier!) and it was much better than I was anticipating.

I ended up being back for just over 5 months before going off again and if anyone had a problem with it they hid it well! I figured if I was going to have another mat leave did it really matter if it was 5 months later or a year or more?

I go back in a couple of weeks and at least now I can get stuck in and push on with my career knowing that there won't be any more time off for babies (we are definitely sticking with two)

100% do not quit!!!

I went back to work when DC1 was 5 months and was already pregnant with DC2, but in my defence I didn't know that at the time! I was back for a whole 7 months before i went off on mat leave again. Im sure they weren't greatly pleased but its just one of those things. However, Ive continued to work for them ever since and DC1 & DC2 are now 16 & 17 so they definitely got enough work out of me! Ive since had DC but that was 12 years after DC2 - they were absolutely fine.

Ive managed lots of staff who have taken mat leave, some close together like me, and Ive honestly thought nothing other than congratulations! Mat leave is such a short time in the overall scheme of things so please enjoy it and don't worry about what work thinks.

I didn’t go back at all😂

Had my first baby on May 3rd 2021 and was meant to go back to work at the 3rd April 2022. My due date for my second baby was the 26th April 22🙃 3 weeks atter I was meant to go back lol.

Work will definitely be pissed but I’m one of those that say you don’t owe your work anything. To make it worse, I won’t be returning. So I’ve had two maternity leaves back to back and only started working for the company in June 2020. Oh well🤷‍♀️

Exactly this. They may be annoyed but what can anyone really do/say. I know my manager was peeved because he emailed me back saying, ‘does this mean you’ll now be back in April 2023.’ I’m sure they can’t say much because it can be looked at as discrimination

It's fine. A lot of women do it.
Literally what can they say?
Would be down as discrimination if they did so they'll suck it up.
Don't worry about it

I had 9 months off for maternity leave with my daughter, went back to work 4 months pregnant, had another 9 months off, went back to work, was there 12 weeks and found out I was pregnant again! They've been nothing but supportive! Don't listen to people that say you should quit! Since most people have more than 1 kids, what is the difference between taking maternity leaves back to back or having them a couple of years apart?

I don’t know how it works in the UK as I’m Swedish and have never given birth in the UK, but if your career is important to you, why don’t you split the 12 months with the father and you will both be off for 6 months?

I did it, not on purpose as no4 was quite the surprise but work were happy for me, if they thought I was a bit mad but I’ve only ever had 2 maternity leaves (first 2 were born 1 pre university and one post uni prior to getting the job I am now in). So no more than anyone else who has 2 children in post it just so happens they were a weeee bit closer together than I anticipated. They were happy for me congratulated me and my boss did wonder if she could get mat leave for her cat - she had no kids then but had one a couple of years later.

congratulations op enjoy mat leave and new babies