Redundancy and ttc

[StrawberryCheese]

My company are trying to get rid of a lot of people and they have not had enough volunteers for redundancy to meet their target. Next step is informing those whose jobs are at risk and holding one to one skills matrix meetings. My job is one of them and I have my meeting next week. The company have said that they don't want to resort to compulsory redundancies and instead will move people around to other departments.

This is my first concern, I don't have the necessary skills to be able to work in another department without extensive training, so I'm not going to look too good on the skills matrix. We have been told training will be given but the company have never been too hot on it before.

If we weren't trying for a baby I think I would be taking the VR and giving my all to finding a new job. It would be scary but perhaps I need the pressure of being out of work to help me move on. I won't get much of a payout, about £5k which amounts to roughly 3 and a half months pay and DH wouldn't be able to support the two of us on his lower salary.

But we are ttc, have been since October and we really wanted to start a family this year. If I fall pregnant whilst out of work nobody would employ me. If I start a new job and get pregnant soon after, I dont think it's very fair. If I stay with the company in the hope that I get pregnant soon, I might not conceive.

I have to make a choice and I just don't know what to do. Has anyone been in a similar situation? I'm 29 years old.

You are 29 so can delay TTC as no age pressure. I'd do this whilst you decide if you want to move within the company to avoid redundancy or throw your energy in to finding a new job elsewhere.

If your husbands salary can't support you alone then you need to work especially if planning an extra mouth to feed, clothe etc. You could start searching now and take anything that comes up, put in for the VR and save that money to add to your maternity pay.

Who don't you think you need to be "fair" to? The only person who you need to make sure you're being fair to in this situation is you.

A few years ago (at a similar age to you now), my then employer was going through a similar restructuring. When the process started I volunteered for redundancy (as it was the best thing for me at that time) but got turned down. About 6/8 weeks later I was then offered the same package but I turned it down as there'd been a big shift in new employment opportunities in the sector. In making that decision, I knew it meant that someone else would then be facing compulsory redundancy, but I had to do what was the right thing for me.

I'd suggest you separate the two issues - after all, if you took VR and got a new job quickly would you then feel you were being "unfair" on your new employer if you got pregnant a few months later?

Personally I would stop ttc

You say your partner can't afford to support you both on just his wage. Isn't this what he will need to be able to do for a while whilst you are on maternity leave with baby? I would stop and save enough money that you can afford to have only one of you working for a year. Without that what are you going to do with baby? Or when you go back to work you will need to be able to afford high childcare fees.

I thought it wouldn't be very fair to a new employer if they took me on and then a few months later I announce that I'm pregnant. Surely they'd be a bit annoyed?

I could be pregnant right now to be honest, but I won't be doing a test until week after next. I need to decide about VR before then according to management.

I have £12k in savings artandco. I just don't like the thought of being out of work and receiving no maternity pay.

In that case I think it's ok.

I think you can look now at other options and jobs. If you start somewhere else and fall pregnant after then you will get maternity pay. Otherwise work place shave to be very careful about discrimination against pregnant women so you could still be hired whilst pregnant