Chaging Jobs Coming Back From Mat Leave

[HVC]

Hello fellow mummies,

i am presented with a new job offer which is a better career move, pay is 25% more. However the company is a family run business with no HR department despite being a global firm. They don’t offer work from home and I don’t think they’d be very tolerant towards me having to leave early to pick up my sick baby from the nursery. we are also planning to have the second baby in the next 1 year, I am not sure if the new company would be very happy if I get pregnant within the year.
if I take the job I would start straight out of mat leave.
We don’t need the money so much it is more the career aspect which is attractive with the new job. We have no family and no support and my husband travels quite a lot for work.

My currently job offers no salary increase, no progression but I am comfortable, I don’t have a very ambitious workload and I like what I do and my colleagues. It is a corporate company, and they would tolerate if i have to work from home occasionally due to sickness.

Not accepting the new job means I have to postpone career progression for another 2,5 - 3 years and would resume after I come back from the second mat leave. Taking the new job comes with high risk potentially loosing my job as well as stress & pressure, but it is a great career move.

what would you advise?

Personally I'd sit tight where I am as those early years are tough BUT that's not too say it's what you should do. It's a really personal thing and very much goes to your priorities. I've always seen both parenting and career as marathons not sprints and I've been happy to dial one up and the other down at various stages. Could I have progressed further and faster if I didn't? Yeah, probably, but the balance worked for me. You need to weigh up what's important to you in short, medium and long terms.

Your baby will be grown before you know it. If it were me, i’d stay off on mat leave as long as I can & enjoy your baby. Also when I became a mummy, my priorities changed. If I needed away to pick up my sick son or daughter id be away in a flash (within reason of course). If you don’t want to have any worries regarding another baby/maternity leave then id just hold off until you are done growing your family then start looking more into your career.. I would def not work somewhere where there is no HR support

Check if you have to return to your current company after Mat Leave for a certain amount of time… usually you have to return for 3 months or else pay them back any enhanced Mat pay.

(When) would you be eligible for enhanced mat pay for a 2nd mat leave in either role?

Is 25% an increase in base or overall package? Is it equal in terms of any private health benefits for the family, for example, and holiday?

How much of the increase would get eaten up by wraparound care, additional paid childcare, travel, stuff you need to pay to outsource (eg extra cleaning)?

What about if your performance (rating) is affected by (unplanned) time off for childcare?

Have you had an honest conversatiom with your spouse about who will take time off with a sick child?

I will have to take time off with a sick child 90% of the time if not 100%

I would stay put