New Job/TTC/Maternity pay

[bulletproofcoffee]

Hi all, first time posting here 😅

I want to hear your thoughts as everyone close to me has pretty much said “Don’t worry about it” 😑

Firstly I appreciate how fortunate this situation is and I am by no means dismissive of the fact I am in a good position.

I am 32, earn £45k (plus annual bonus of around £3k minimum) have been with my current company for 5 years almost, I get to wfh full time, I have a pretty easy life, work can be very quiet for weeks and there’s not much to do. On occasion it’s busy and I work regular hours, other times (only a few times a year) it can be very very busy (working late / weekends). I have good benefits, and 6 months maternity at full pay. Our plan was to TTC in November this year (2023), as I have a final 2 year all clear on my Cervical Cancer.

Currently employer is likely to give me a raise end of this year based on my performance - probably up to £55k.

I have now been asked to move to a new company by an ex senior colleague. Salary is going to be increasing significantly - at least £70k plus bonus. With potential to rise up to £85k. The role is similar but work with be more consistent as opposed to my more periodic work, plus travel to office 1 day per week. Max. 2 times a week. Absolute no brainer to take the job however I am worried about potentially getting pregnant on probations (6 month) and also the fact we only get enhanced pay maternity after 1 year. I am waiting on confirmation on the maternity package but likely to be a few weeks (probably 2-12) at full pay then dropping down to 50% for a few months.

How would you approach this? Concerned I don’t want to put off TTC given my medical history. Also would be helpful to hear about anyone who has moved company/jobs during TTC and probation periods.

thanks !

If you are determined to TTC this year I would stay where I was. If I was willing ti put it in hold for a year I would move. You would be giving up thousands of pounds and not a lot of people can afford to do that while on maternity.

Personally I would want to be in the new role for two years before TTC.

I wouldn't lose that opportunity, and I certainly wouldn't feel guilty about TTC. It happens when it happens, if it happens quickly they will manage, it's just a short period relatively speaking, don't pick a business over your life. It might not happen right away.

That depends on how important the maternity package is to you, but no point staying put for that reason as the financial package in the new job is bigger and will be worth more than the temporary maternity package with your current employer.

@MoonlightMuse why?

@OhhhhhhhhBiscuits you would give up a job that is worth £25k a year more, continually, for a maternity package worth thousands? That doesn't make financial sense.

Maybe not to you, but having some time under your belt in the new role, and getting paid thousands more in maternity from waiting a year makes more financial sense to me.

@OhhhhhhhhBiscuits that makes ZERO financial sense! Don't get me wrong I can see there being other arguments for staying put (mostly around being with the devil you know when needing more flexibility etc and the worry of the unknown going through 2 big life changes at the same time) but if the motivator is finances then the new job is the no brainier.

More protected employee rights. Although maternity/pregnancy is a protected characteristic, employers can be very clever if they want to get rid of you. Being there more than two years adds extra rights.

@MoonlightMuse yes I can see why that would be a consideration, I've rarely been in job longer than 2 years so that would never occur to me 😂 as OP is effectively being head hunted it does feel like that will be less of a risk, but for them to ascertain.

Thanks for input so far! My thinking is currently take the job. TTC and if it happens it happens but ideally notify work post probation so May 24 time. At which point I should hopefully be ok in terms of employment

@bulletproofcoffee just make sure you do not TTC until you have completed your first month to lock in SMP.

I took a new job when thinking about another pregnancy. I found out I was pregnant on my first day, less than ideal timing, but when is great timing?

I miscarried not long afterwards. Pregnant again 3 months after that. Miscarried again, at 3 months. Pregnant again a couple of months later, went on Mat leave when I'd been there 18 months. I was wfh for both miscarriages, and work part time, so I didn't need to mention them (although I did when I fell pregnant for the third time).

I would absolutely hope everything goes smoothly for you, but the reality is it might not. It's completely normal to take several months to conceive, or longer. The situation you're worrying about just might never arise.

I'd consider the potential flexibility and value of the standing relationships in the current job for post-Mat leave more than I would the Mat leave itself. That's worth its weight in gold.

As po says it's completely normal to take months to conceive (2 years for me) so take the job.

Take the job. I worried about this (I did take the job) and then couldn’t conceive at all and won’t be having any kids so at least I’ve got the ongoing money! Not that it’s likely you won’t be able to but it’s less certain than the certain thing in front of you which is that you can earn a lot more very quickly and you could always just keep living on the same budget as your old job for a year or so to max out some good mat leave savings in the new role just in case you get pregnant in the first year.

Thanks! I do agree that it may not pan out as planned! I have worked out the pros/cons for each.

Current job Pros -

• a very good relationship with line manager in the current job
• 6 months at full pay and guarantee title on return
• WFH FT and work is periodic, so much easier to move around my potential pregnancy and child.
• Already worked out a plan to take leave and use kit days during the busy period to support my boss
• Good potential to cut down to 4 day week etc.
• I have contact with our CEO (a woman with kids) and MD, who I trust and I would definitely reach out to if my head of department proved to be difficult in any of my personal circumstance changes
• Likely to receive promotion this October (+ca. 15%/20% max pay increase)

Current job Cons -

• not so great relationship with the head of the department
• Pay is behind market average
• I dislike the wider team and ways of working, so if my current role and the client I work with leaves, the job prospects in the future are not great
• I work alone and I do wonder what will happen whilst off, if my job will be picked up by someone else and they will come in with more seniority (on paper) and kind of ruin my career path/potential promotions.

New Job Pros

• Significantly more pay
• Very good bonus potential
• Jumping up two levels in terms of career path (which is unlikely in my current)
• Friendly with my new boss, very similar work ethics and personality.
• I have been personally headhunted so new boss knows me well and how I work.
• She is very supportive of my career progression and knows I have been "back benched" at my current.
• I will have at least 3 people below me (plus my friend above me) who will pick up work and support me before/after my return
• Enough money to save and buy a house quicker (currently in a flat)
• Enough money to put away for self support in maternity leave
• Enough money that if I cut down to 4 days in future it is more than I earn right now
• I already expressed my concerns to new boss her that I want kids in the future, I said not really TTC right now or this year, it might not even happen during the next year but she knows my medical history so knows how I am likely to want kids before the potential cancer returning. ... and she seemed OK. I mentioned I had been approached last week for another company and didn't consider the role due to their strict maternity pay clauses (no support in first 2 years) . She agreed we are women and how terrible this was and "what if it just happened?".
• my partner is very kind supportive and WFH a lot too, said we would always cut him down to 4 day weeks if need be since he earns less when we have a baby.

New Job Cons -

• Maternity pay scheme unclear currently
• Likely to not be paid 6 months full
• Likely I will have been here less than 2 years when I go on mat leave so less legal rights
• May prove a little more difficult with post baby support or cutting down to 4 days etc.

I will probably sit and work out finances today, and see how much of this extra money can be banked for potentially unpaid mat leave :)

Definitely go for new job. It took two years for me to conceive and I was in my twenties.

Take the new job. It may take you a while to conceive anyway, there’s no way of knowing until you try.

I'd take the new job and just go with the flow, whatever happens happens. You never know how long it will take to conceive so I'd put myself in a better financial position knowing that. DD1 took over a year to conceive, you could have significant savings behind you to cover your maternity period in that time with the new job. It's a no brainer for me.

I’d take the new job. And start saving as much as you can once you start.
we started TTC the month I started a new job, (but I knew the company offers 6 months paid mat leave from day 1). I got pregnancy within 4 months but unfortunately had a miscarriage at 11 weeks. My work have been great about it and let me have plenty of time off. TTC / pregnancy is such an unpredictable minefield, I’d just think about how having a new and potentially busier job may work alongside that.

Looking at your pros and cons, I'd definitely take the new job.

I think you get enhanced employment rights as soon as you announce your pregnancy to work - pretty sure it's the one time you don't have to wait two years for enhanced employment rights, so being somewhere two years or not shouldn't matter.

My only concern with moving would be if they were likely to make you redundant when you announce your pregnancy - my work did this and it's depressingly common (but then I'd been there five years so nothing to do with tenure, just all senior men and bad culture for women).

If your new boss is supportive of pregnancy rights etc, I think that's a good enough reason to move. Pregnancy discrimination would be my only concern (but probably only because that exact thing happened to me). Also moving wouldn't make that more likely to happen, unless it's a bad company culture

Just an update if anyone cares. Told my current line manager/head of department and he’s offered to match the offer (£62k) and promotion. But in even better news, someone senior I work alongside has spoken to CEO of a partner company (who I pretty much work for), and they want me to move to them, same job I do now and offered £60k. Complete no brainer, not travel costs means it’s pretty much the same as £65k... plus no loss on maternity as we have continual employment policy 🙂

@bulletproofcoffee just read through your thread, how're you getting on now and congrats on the offer👏👏👏

@VladimirVsVolodymyr Hey! Well I got a promotion and stayed after showing them my counter offer. I am happy and very busy in my work - this week , yesterday to be precise I got a BFP! I can't believe it.