Length of Maternity leave

[Deanthescream]

When your employer asked you how long you intended to take as maternity leave, what did you answer?

I really don’t know how much time I will take off - it depends how I feel about maternity leave to be honest. Financially, I am in a position to take the whole year off, but I may be keen to return earlier.

I have to give 10 weeks notice to change my return to work date. Would you say that you want to take the full year off, then if you start getting fed up, give them 10 weeks notice and go back early? Or would you say less time, then give 10 weeks notice and push it back?

thank you

I'd say the full amount - you can always ask to go back early but this allows them to plan in cover.

Personally maternity leave did not agree with me at all, and both me and DS settled much better after I went back to work. But I didn't know that before I gave birth! I also think that's really uncommon (I'm the only one I know who 'wanted' to go back early) - but definitely happens sometimes!

Tell them 12 months and then you can always let them know and go back earlier, it’s much easier and less pressure for you & them to expect you to be gone for a year x

It's bad practice to ask, it can be seen as encouraging a woman to take less leave because of pressure to return. My workplace has a policy whereby they pencil in that person as on leave for 12 months, and adjust if they're told she's returning sooner.

I'd just say you'll take 39/52 weeks (whichever you're planning) and should that change you'll give them the required 8 weeks notice.

Much better to say you’ll take the full year and then go back sooner, than to give them a date and extend it later. You won’t really know until the baby is here how you will feel, so best to keep your options as open as possible.

Say you're taking the full year initially and then if you change your mind, let them know asap x

6 weeks before birth for one and 3 weeks before birth for second. 5 months after birth I returned. A year leaves you out of the loop I think. It’s ok if you can afford it.

Perfect, thanks everyone. I’ll say my intention is to take 1 year then give notice if I get fed up!

thanks

Sweeping statement?!

I had 11 and then 13 months off and wasn’t out of the loop when I came back (to a very full on job). You have up to 10 KIT days and I used mine effectively.

@harrietm87 So is yours. Well done you!

Also every bit of research suggests that maternity holds women’s wages back. So many are passed over for promotion and it’s not always easy to overcome so many women do not feel being away for a year is beneficial to their careers - depends on industry though.

I am going on maternity leave in March and had the same quandary. I have booked 6 months leave for now after which leave won't be financially feasible for me. However I don't know if I might want to take more leave after that so plan to extend later if I end up needing to. I have to give 8 weeks notice to change leave.
I'm curious why all posters have suggested doing the opposite (taking the full year and going back early if you want). Why is that better? Please be gentle, I'm just trying to understand 😀

I think the out of the loop bit depends on your job and whether you have friends at work who you see outside of your job. I had 11 months off work and all the office gossip or changes brought in were fed back to me by my very lovely friend. I feel like that helped and my job was never going to change in terms of what I did responsibility wise.

However, I can see that in lots of jobs this would not be the case and KIT days are needed to touch base and you can feel out of touch with the day to day stuff if things are more fast paced. Dh has this type of job.

I always think it is best to say the longest you can and go back earlier rather than request earlier then have this date potentially looming that you want to push back.

No, I gave my own experience. I didn’t presume to apply it to every woman and every maternity leave.

Because it is generally easier for your employer to plan for a longer period and reduce it if need be, than to be scrabbling for last minute cover if you extend.

I learned this the hard way with my first mat leave - my boss promised certain clients I would be around to work on their files, didn’t hand over some of my longer running matters - and then when I had to extend (issues finding childcare and bottle refusing ebf baby) it was really problematic for them. If they had known from the outset I would be off for a year they would have handled it completely differently. Probably depends on your job to some extent but I’m struggling to think of a scenario where less notice would be better than more.

My company by default assumes a year and you give them notice if you want to return early.
I thought I would return at 9 months instead I moved from mat leave to sick leave at 12 months and started a phased return at 13 months under a fit note until 15 months.

Legally they shouldn't ask, and should assume you'll take your full allowance. Then you can just give the required notice to return early if you want to. Also factor in you'll have holiday to use.

Lots of women don’t just want office gossip, they want promotion. So not being away for too long suits that objective. I’ve known ambitious women take 1 month.

@TizerorFizz thank you for your advice, but if you read my thread, I’m not specifically asking about how long to take, I’m asking for advice on how long I should tell my employer I’m taking.

Thank you to everyone else who has provided useful advice which is fully in line with what I expected.

Likely because most people take the full year. Obviously if this is not doable, you say x months, just as you have done.

I initially told them 12 months even though I wasn't sure at the time, as I thought it would be better for the business if I were to reduce it rather than extend it. I was transparent with them though and told them all of this, and they were happy I was choosing to do it that way rather than the other way around!

@TizerorFizz your perception seems pretty outdated. Happily things have moved on.

I work in a very traditional and cut throat industry and in my firm most men take 6 months off (on full pay), with women taking 6-12 months. All of the recent promotions have gone to women who are pregnant, on mat leave, or have recently returned. 6-12 months is a minuscule amount in a career which will now last until most of us are late 60s.

The only people I know who have taken less are self-employed, which is the minority.

They are supposed to assume you are taking the full amount of leave and then you can give 8 weeks notice if you want to return earlier. It leaves your options open

I thought all workplaces have to assume you’re taking a year and not ask you. And then adjust if you tell them you want to cut it shorter

They shouldn't ask!! Naughty.

I’m looking forward to women earning the same as men in all areas of comparable work then. Hasn’t happened yet. I also thought they should not ask.