What do you think is the appropriate waiting time between joining a new job and springing an impending maternity leave on your new employer?
I obviously wouldn't want to go on maternity leave within 9 months of joining a new job (may also have to take an additional month or two off - without pay if that's the policy). But I'm also on the dark (okay...evil) side of 30 and my biological clock isn't ticking any slower.
Any advice? Any others been in a similar situation?
Also will you be entitled to maternity leave/pay being a new employee? I seem to remember reading on here in the past that you have to have worked somewhere a year before you qualify for maternity leave
Good luck
I dont' know what kind of job you have. For some, pregnancy would be a serious matter, e.g if you have to deal with a lot of chemicals, radioactive, biologics or if you are a model ..meaning you won't be allowed to do your normal work and the employer has to find other type of work for you. There I would wait for a year in the job (3 months probation, or even 6 months probation passed) and see if they're happy with your work. Then, start trying right away, intensively
Your rights as a pregnant worker are well protected here in Switzerland. BTW, your employer would have considered this possibility as well when the decided to hire you, unless during the interview you promised them not to be. I was asked about my family planning (they said I could choose not to answer it) and I answered that yes I'd like to build a family in the near future, but even so I would not leave my job after my 16 weeks of maternity leave because I really wanted the job. So...they still hired me.
Of course, during the pregnancy sometimes I felt guilty seeing others had to work bit harder to take over your part....but you can give it back when others have to stay at home due to sport accidents ( quite often here, that's my impression).
Cheers
Totally agree with you about the guilt part - went through that with my first pregnancy.
Also,are you intending to go back to work at the end of your leave? if so, have you got already somebody who will be able to look after your baby?
it also depends how healthy you will be during your pregnancy.. I don;t know the policy here but in my last job in china, my leave started 2 weeks before the birth so I worked until my 8th month and only took one day off during that time. so for my employer, i was really "a problem" during the leave.. during pregnancy and after, I was still as productive and reliable.
I wont have anyone at home with the baby so I have also scoured the forum and the internet for daycare options after I return to work. My first was what they call a textbook pregnancy (knock on wood). But no two pregnancies are alike. If any unforseen complications arise that can't be helped. But other situations - how will the boss and colleagues take it, what's the hr policy, will they have suitable backup for that time etc. - can be anticipated and I can be better prepared. At least that's what I am trying to do.
It's a non-issue. Tell your employer no earlier than 12 weeks (so second trimester). Your probationary period will be over.
Getting pregnant is not an exact science either
correct, bio clock go ticky tock....
Pregnancy+leave = more than 1 year and my new job will materialize sooner than that.
I am eligible for maternity pay even in my current job - I am employed currently. So no, I'm not eyeing just the maternity benefits. For me its more about getting all the change (job, new place, settling in) out of the way and moving on to the next stage of family life with another child.
Also, you are not required to tell your employer that you are pregant, according to Swiss Federal law (source: http://geneva.angloinfo.com/information/11/birth.asp )
But, obviously, you won't be able to hide it forever.
I have told my employer twice about my pregnancies, and both times I told him as soon as I was sure that the pregnancy was viable and going normally (about 16 weeks), AND when I had a plan for when to return after the pregnancy (in my case, I was able to share my maternity leave with my husband, so I started working part time after three months of leave with my first).
From this experience, I found that coming in with a plan that demonstrates readiness to balance work and family responsibilities makes the pregnancy conversation easy for both employer and employee, and is more important than when the conversation takes place.
I would caution against trying to get information from your potential colleagues, since you don't want to get a reputation for being another one of those women who just wants maternity pay (it's ugly gossip, but very common). After all, will a boss who sticks to the rules dissuade you from having a baby? On the other hand, if people mention family-friendliness without you asking (or if you ask an open-ended question, like "what sort of qualities would you describe this employer as having?", take it seriously-I needed to work flex hours for 4 months after my maternity leave because we did not have a full time kinderkrippe spot, and it was absolutely wonderful to be able to do so more informally, as my boss is very family-friendly.
Whoa-sorry for the preaching. That was long!