advice about maternity leave/ part time consultancy/ dream project dilemma (LONG - sorry!)

[Thandeka]

Okie coke here goes- bit complicated bear with me....

I am 5.2 weeks today with my first so still very early days but some things have come up that I need to chew over. EDD is currently 14th Nov.

Currently I work three days a week in a school (and get school holidays) and do 2 days a week consultancy. Plan is to move to part time consultancy and leave school while little ones are little (and want quite a brood so for the next few years....)

Anyhow initial plan was either start maternity leave first day back in Sept (10 weeks before due date) so that I can use August summer holidays and those 10 weeks to finish as much as possible of my masters (am at dissertation stage and will prob be due in July 2010 if I don't delay it). Or start mat leave in the october half term. My school job's mat pay is quite good (even when part time) and obviously I am only entitled to MA as a self employed consultant.
Thing is doubt I would want to go back to school after mat leave is up but possibly could stomach it for the 13 weeks I would need to so as not to have to pay back the additional Mat pay- although quite prepared to just have SMP and forgo the extra if needs be (we can live off savings for a bit- annoyingly Hubbie's salary will increase so I can be a SAHM IF he passes his next set of exams- which are in bloody november- and he won't get results and pay appraisal until March 2010!)

Anyhow these are my musings so far- and another spanner has just been thrown in the works. Basically there is very strong liklihood of funding for me to work for 2 days a week from after Easter in my absolute dream job but would still be working as a consultant and on a day rate. I have always dreamed of doing this job and its perfect for me. (cept this would now mean working 5 days a week which I was hoping to avoid!)

So I could resign from school for end of August (forgoing additional Mat pay but would be eligible for MA I think), work this job for 2 days a week until as close to birth as I can stand. Maybe take three months off and then continue with the job.

I understand I can take up to 10 kit days whilst on Mat leave - would this also count if those days were consultancy days?

Not sure if they will let me be off for too long but I have told them about the pregnancy (which I sort of regret now but figure hey if this amazing contract diseappears because I'm pregnant then hey thats decision made for me!)

Anyhow my dilemma is sort of when to start Mat leave and whether it is sensible to try and break neck and go back to work earlier than planned after the baby is born (because its my dream job-and its only 2 days a week- wouldn't do it for anything else)
(Oh and in terms of breaking neck also still have Masters to finish and a book contract to be fulfilled orginally by feb 2010 but have moved it to Aug 2010 - Nargh!

(oh and in terms of childcare we have no-one near us relative wise so would need to be a childminder which I am not too keen on when kids are so tiny but DH and I are also talking about him going PT to so he can do some childcare (he would work 3-4 days per week) but again this won't be an option until he is fully qualified.

Crumbs that is possibly my longest ever MN post. Clearly my brain needed to get it all out. Well done if you got this far! Apologies for its length!

I'll help you as much as I can.

First:
MA will pay up to £112.00 week which means you have to have earned a certain amount each month for 26 weeks of the year. I was fortunate to get this higher rate of pay, and you can use any wage slips/accountancy papers from that entire year.

You are also allowed 10 working days as SE whilst getting MA.

Dont forget the child benefit/child tax credits too each week.

'I am only entitled to MA as a self employed consultant.'
Not true. If you can get the school to say they will not pay you SMP due to the fact you work part time or another reason - check with them. My emplooyer was 'unable' to pay me SMP - and H&M rev, didnt ask me anything.

'(forgoing additional Mat pay but would be eligible for MA I think), '
Yes you would be. Aslong as you can prove how much you have earnt in the last year.
You can have MA paid to you up to 11 weeks before baby is born.

'Not sure if they will let me be off for too long but I have told them about the pregnancy (which I sort of regret now but figure hey if this amazing contract diseappears because I'm pregnant then hey thats decision made for me!)'

You have told them early enough so they cant do anything and have to allow you the time off. It just means that obviously you cant get SMP from them.

I would in your situation:

Go for the new job - youll regret it if you dont.
Finish with the school.
Apply for MA at 11 weeks preggers.But have it paid to you at the most difficult financial time for you.(but this means once you get this you can only work for 10more days in either job.
Work the consultancy Job too up until the baby is born/earlier if needed.

Hi Thandeka - thanks for your message of congratulations

MHOs are:
*it's great to think about all of this at an early stage and try and get it sorted. Never mind just being 5.2. A girl I know told me last week 'oh don't worry about your childcare - something will sort itself out when it has to'. But little does she know that in my part of town all the nurseries are already full for when I want to go back to work ... so bloody good job I already signed then-unborn DS up months ago. So yes, get it all thought through and sorted now and you won't be stressed later, hopefully.
*as Chellesgirl says, I'd go for the dream job. In the best case scenario in a year's time you are working this job and your DH has got his promotion. In other scenarios you may find, once baby is born/mat leave taken that more funding is available for the project - they want you to go to three days or vice versa, or someone else will offer you something etc
*finish Masters now if you can before baby born, if not feeling sick etc - then that's out of the way
*good to have moved book contract - this might be one task too far!
*maternity leave: would giving up the school sooner make you feel more able to get back to the consultancy project sooner? (because it will aid you finishing Masters and thinking through the rest of the plan?) I think the key has to be communicating with the client, really - who will want you to do what you say you're going to do on the tin.
*so your next job is to decide what it says on your tin (which is partly why you posted here in the first place) and then inform/negotiate with the client.

Right, back to bed for me, only two hours to next feed ...

MrsB

Thanks for the replies guys. Lots to think about. Earliest I can leave school is Sept really (but have end of July and August summer hols for masters.) as the way notice works is I would have to give notice on 1st day back after easter (when I am 10 weeks so too early IMO) to leave in May- or notice on 31st May to leave in Sept. Much better for school and me to finish a full academic year methinks.

Downside will be potentially working fulltime April-July (2 days in dream job and 3 days at school) when currently I work part time- 3 days at school and was planning on easing off on the consultancy to do the masters- but at the minute dream job is not 100% confirmed but looking likely.

well unfortunately I lost the pregnancy at 10 weeks but the embryo died at 6 weeks. So thats the decision partly made.

Sod it I may leave work anyway, but thats for another post another time.

So sorry to hear that Thandeka