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Original poster

Short maternity leave

15 replies

CMAYF11 · 23/09/2020 20:36

I wonder if anyone can advise if this is worth broaching with my employer. I can only afford to take 3/4 months of maternity leave. However since COVID my job is now fully home based ( I’ll maybe have to go in one day a week next year)
I was thinking of asking my employer if I could keep my baby with me on my WFH days until they are about 6/7 months old.
I work for a big university and they are very flexible but I wonder if this proposal might be a step too far.

OP posts:
Megan2018 · 23/09/2020 20:39

I’m a manager in HE and it’d be a definite No here.
Can’t your partner take shared parental leave instead?

sunlight81 · 23/09/2020 20:39

How would they know where ur baby was if u don't tell them?

U may find it hard working and childcare at the same time but the only way u will know is if u give it a go!

EasterIssland · 23/09/2020 20:46

If childcare is closed like in lockdown they might be flexible. But doubt that they’d now.

Siennabear · 23/09/2020 21:03

How do you plan to work while looking after your baby?

Debradoyourecall · 24/09/2020 18:12

Personally I’d find it impossible to work properly from home with a baby. They can be mobile from 5-6 months onwards, so then you have to start watching their every move. Even before that they do need a lot of attention. Where are you planning to put them while you work?

Lazypuppy · 24/09/2020 19:27

Honestly childcare and working is not worth the hassle!i had to do it at the start of lockdown and it was so tough. Definitely not worth the money saved from childcare

peachypetite · 29/09/2020 07:01

How are you going to get any work done looking after a baby at the same time?

LilyLongJohn · 29/09/2020 07:05

I've worked from home over the past few years and I'd find it almost impossible to work with a small baby. Tbh any age from about 12 years upwards I'd not even consider it.

I guess a lot depends on what you do. If it's an admin based role and you have a certain amount of work to complete In the day, and you don't have to deal with customers or staff (or students), then I don't see why you couldn't. You could flex your day and work in the evenings when the baby sleeps. But if you're going to get phone calls or meetings, and have things to do straight away there's no chance you could do it effectively with a baby.

Ohalrightthen · 29/09/2020 07:15

Similar situation here - i went back to WFH when DD was 3 months, and her dad took over being the SAHP, we did shared parental leave. There's no way in hell i could have got anything done with her around, and my boss would have been an idiot to approve it.

Hardbackwriter · 29/09/2020 07:15

I guess a lot depends on what you do. If it's an admin based role and you have a certain amount of work to complete In the day, and you don't have to deal with customers or staff (or students), then I don't see why you couldn't. You could flex your day and work in the evenings when the baby sleeps.

You can't do an eight hour day starting in the evening unless you're going to stay up until about 2am at the earliest. So, assuming you'd normally work a full day, you're going to end up doing the equivalent of just leaving at lunchtime in terms of hours - there aren't many jobs where that's ok. You might be able to get in some day time while the baby naps but with a baby that age it's unlikely to be reliable enough.

It's also going to be horrific trying to work evenings after looking after a young baby all day. I went back to work at 6 months and quickly found I just couldn't do the hours I had before mat leave because I used to work most evenings and I I just couldn't do it while sleep-deprived, and I also rarely got a completely uninterrupted evening when mine was that age.

I also work for a university and they were good during the time where there was no childcare but there is no way that what you're proposing would be allowed now, or that I'd allow it for someone I line-managed, for very good reason.

Hardbackwriter · 29/09/2020 07:19

I know it's going to be tough putting such a young baby in childcare and I can see why this feels like an alternative (is your baby here yet, by the way, or are you still pregnant?), but it really isn't. You would essentially be getting your full pay to do a small fraction of work so they'll say no if you ask and if you don't ask and just do it you'll likely face disciplinary proceedings after a very, very stressful time of not being able to meet deadlines for you.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 29/09/2020 07:42

Sorry, this is really not an option (other than in another full lockdown situation where all childcare is closed).

Looking after a baby is a full time occupation. I imagine you wouldn’t ask your employer if you could take on another paid job during your working hours, just because you’re working from home and they’re flexible.

welshweasel · 29/09/2020 07:49

No, you can’t work whilst looking after a baby at home - maybe as a one off but not every day.

I went back to work full time when my eldest was 4 months old, due to financial constraints. We used an excellent nursery and DS thrived. Turns out I liked being back at work as well so second time round we did similar but through choice.

neverenoughchelseaboots · 29/09/2020 10:05

I really wouldn't recommend it. You'd feel guilty all the time at doing neither thing well and it would be miserable.

Although childcare is expensive I think the sanity of doing one thing at a time is absolutely worth it.

IceSkater · 29/09/2020 10:08

This is a terrible idea. Not fair to your child or your employer.

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