When to go on Maternity Leave when I work in Car Sales

[JavaGreen1998]

Hoping someone can give me some advice.
I have been in my car sales exec role nearly 8 years and I’m currently 30+5 weeks pregnant. I had stated I will go off at 36+4 ( technically mat leave doesn’t start until 9 days later due to annual leave) but I’m starting to struggle.

my job is 6 days a week and often I’m there for 8:30am until nearly 7pm apart from Saturdays and Sundays where it’s slightly shorter hours on a sat and 4 on a Sunday.

im naturally very good at my job and I run at a super high pace I always have. My job does invoke a lot of stress, hours, and physical work,

my employer have been great in the sense they have taken most of my physical duties away ie photographing cars, pricing cars, moving all the cars which we do daily, and substituted it with some more of the website side.

But obviously for my own sales I’m still running cars around to body shops, fuel, valet, opening cars and moving for test drives, checking in new and used deliveries but I’m starting to struggle.

I don’t want to seem weak and go off too early, but equally so don’t want to risk mine or my babies health.

I’ve been struggling with hip pain, tiredness and heartburn recently, and it’s making me resent the job I’ve loved for the past 8 years!

it’s hard to slow down because we are commission based and I need to keep my sales pace high for my income.

Im so torn with what to do

You're unlikely to risk your baby's health, but yes, you'll be uncomfortable. Really it comes down to whether you want the time now to feel comfortable or with your baby.

Could you take some leave now, say one day a week? Or ask to work from home for the website stuff and come in later and miss the rush hour traffic? I’d try and stretch it out if possible because come the other side you’ll feel all of that AND be sleep deprived so not at your best.

Are you going back full time after the baby - sounds like a job which would be hard to do part time. Just curious but what happens to your salary in mat leave when no commission

Why would it be difficult part time? Only because it's usually men running the show who dont want it to work.

My job is full time only as an exec so no part time option so yeah going back full time. Last year my basic wage was only 30% of my yearly earnings but my full 6 months pay is only my basic so I’m taking a massive massive pay cut! They used to pay average commission on mat leave but it got stopped a few years ago

Isn’t an option for part time as a sales executive sadly in the motor industry. Full time or nothing

Is the part about only being paid basic during maternity leave legal? If your pay structure is a low salary with the majority of the rate for the job being commission, it doesn't sound like it should be as it's not exactly 'six months full pay' on maternity leave.

It’s hard OP but I’d keep going to the 36+4 (which I think is quite early anyway).

The baby might not be born until 42 weeks so you’d be off 5 weeks pre-arrival, as you say you like the earnings etc.

It’s good your tasks have been changed - can you change them any further?

I find in the third trimester you have good days and bad days… it’s a slog though. You’ll probably find being at home no less of a slog though, twiddling your fingers and thinking about the impending arrival!

What you can manage in the last weeks of pregnancy is quite pregnancy dependent
With my first I was active and able to do most things right up until the day my waters went at 38+5, she was born the next day
With my second my physical health started to decline at 32 weeks. I was active up until 34 weeks but by 35 weeks I was struggling with staying awake and was hospitalised a few days later. I managed to get to 37 weeks when they induced for my health. Baby grew fine and was a really good weight, it was just my body that was suffering.

I wouldn't worry about babies health but do look after yourself

When i had my first, I was working in car sales too, I went off on maternity around 37 weeks, baby was 10 days late so ended up having over a month off so if you can stick it out as long as possible I would! I had started to wind down a bit though in terms of less running around the place and more finalising last deals and not taking many new deals on.