Post partum boss asking when I plan to return

amother

Milk

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:13 pm

amother Moccasin wrote:

Its not up to us to find subs. Our agencies are supposed to find subs.
Parents need to understand that when they get school based services for their children, especially from young frum women in their child bearing years, they run the "risk" of their children losing out when we take off after after babies. Your child's therapist is entitled to take off 18 weeks if she wanted and she doesnt need to feel bad about that.
I start off the school year with a full caseload. Why should my parnassa be effected because I want to stay home after I have a baby in the middle of the year?

If not the therapists then the agency needs to account for this. The purpose of this industry is to provide services for children who are entitled to them, not to give everyone parnasa.

amother

Moccasin

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:16 pm

amother Milk wrote:

If not the therapists then the agency needs to account for this. The purpose of this industry is to provide services for children who are entitled to them, not to give everyone parnasa.

So parents should take it up with the agency, I agree. Its uncomfortable when parents text me 4 weeks PP asking when I am coming back.
This points to a deeper issue in our field and the lack of therapists in general due to low pay. I dont see it improving anytime soon getting maternity coverage due to these issues

amother

Milk

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:26 pm

amother Moccasin wrote:

This is a broader issue with maternity leave in the frum community. The entire system of extended maternity leave in other countries relies on people having very few kids.

For a company employing many/ mostly frum Women, with all good intentions, extended maternity leave is not sustainable without hiring more employees for the same amount of work. At the end of the day the businesses need to function & turn a profit.

I'm honestly concerned that if 12-18 week leave becomes the norm it will incentivise businesses not to hire frum married women of childbearing age- legal or not the businesses need to function.

amother

Seafoam

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:29 pm

amother Moccasin wrote:

Why should children lose out critical services?

Your attitude is the perfect example why some people hold off hiring frum women of childbearing age.

amother

Seafoam

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:33 pm

amother Milk wrote:

Exactly. On the average, our society has babies every 2 -3 years. And if they're on leave 4-5 month frequently, we’re gradually going to become unwanted hires. They can always come up with a legal valid excuse why a person wasn't hired, so the legality of it is not much of a concern.

We can be right about legal rights and the business can be equally right about their concerns. Bottom line is that we need the business to hire us and not the other way around.

So what do we gain about such attitudes.?

honey36

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:34 pm

amother Seafoam wrote:

Why should children lose out critical services?

Your attitude is the perfect example why some people hold off hiring frum women of childbearing age.

Because there is a shortage of therapists as it is since they barely get paid. Do you want them to work for free just because the service is critical?

If the agencies would hold off hiring frum women of childbearing age, they would probably have zero therapists altogether and even more kids would be losing out.

Einikel

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:35 pm

amother Seafoam wrote:

Respectfully disagree. A valued employee will get their job back. Someone who generally slacks off has what to worry about.

amother

Milk

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:44 pm

amother Goldenrod wrote:

If there is a shortage of therapists there is nothing the agency can do. And would you prefer your kid to get no services at all then to get 8 months instead of 10?

Yes, rather accept less cases & service everyone you committed to. The parent can try other agencies or after school options if they want but don't accept a case if you can't provide. Several weeks is ok but more than half the school year?

amother

Seafoam

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:45 pm

Einikel wrote:

Respectfully disagree. A valued employee will get their job back. Someone who generally slacks off has what to worry about.

That wasn't the point. We may not be given the chance of becoming valued employees if 18 wks leave becomes standard.

Picture an office where there is constant rotation of people taking extended leave. It affects performance and outcomes. Employers will first look to other hires and consider a frum young woman only as a belated option.

amother

Sunflower

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:48 pm

amother Seafoam wrote:

Why are you derailing the thread? This is a completely different topic, start a new thread if you feel the need to argue your points

amother

Seafoam

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:51 pm

amother Goldenrod wrote:

If there is a shortage of therapists there is nothing the agency can do. And would you prefer your kid to get no services at all then to get 8 months instead of 10?

If this keep up, agencies may eventually start looking for employees elsewhere. This can potentially negatively impact this field for us heimishe women.

My point is not that you can't take leave. My point is that you need to show consideration for your clients and employee too. Because eventually most business find a way to move on when the current setup is unsustainable.

amother

Forestgreen

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 12:56 pm

I grew up in Canada. When ppl talk about places with extended maternity leave, you need to realize it only applies to ppl who worked a certain number of hours in the 12 months before giving birth so it probably doesn’t apply to ppl who work very part time like many morahs who work 8:45-12 or high school teachers who work a few periods a week. I could be wrong but maybe someone who currently lives in Toronto could correct me. Also, the maternity leave comes from taxes so the businesses themselves aren’t paying for it. The only loss to the businesses is the turnover, and this is an issue in certain businesses more than others depending on how much training is involved for new hires and how hard it is to find qualified employees.

OP, in the future it is helpful to discuss with your employer before giving birth what your plans are so they can be prepared. You can 100% take every week you are entitled to by law I don’t agree with frum businesses having a culture where you don’t take off your entitled leave (I don’t think this is all frum businesses but I have heard from multiple ppl that this is the case in their workplace). However you should be upfront about it so your employer can plan ahead. In NY state you would be entitled to 12 weeks PFL and 6 weeks disability for a total of 18 weeks. You can definitely take off for that amount of time but planning in advance makes it easier for everyone involved. I have only worked in large not Jewish environments and I never saw anyone take off less than 12 weeks after giving birth and 18 weeks seems the most common (I am young and started working after PFL was instituted in NYS).

Also, I don’t agree that extended maternity leave would cause ppl not to hire frum women. With the exception of some types of frum offices in Lakewood, frum women of childbearing years are not the majority of the workforce. There are also women 40+, single women, men, etc. In general there is a lot of turnover in most workplaces that they will always be hiring new people and moving things around. Very small businesses where each employee has a huge role are the only places where this can be a big issue.

honey36

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 1:01 pm

amother Seafoam wrote:

The agencies already have started looking for employees elsewhere. They will take anybody, not just heimishe women. The therapist shortage is across the board, in public schools as well.

amother

Valerian

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 1:07 pm

amother Seafoam wrote:

Interesting. I'm in the UK where standard maternity leave is around 9 months.

I work in a school and the understanding is that yes, teachers may take off almost a year every 2 years or so. And it works out. Because it's the standard!

Some teachers and staff will return earlier, some will take a full year off and the school accommodates and finds maternity cover.

No one hesitates to hire frum women of childbearing years, they know that they get a dedicated employee who may take 9 months off but then they will return and continue doing a great job.

amother

Forestgreen

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 1:16 pm

Yes I agree with the poster from the UK. I went to BY elementary in Toronto and we often had teachers who took long maternity leave. I dont think all of them would qualify for the paid leave from the government but the culture is that everyone takes at least a few months. It worked out fine, the school is used to it and plans accordingly. Some years I had fantastic subs it wasn’t necessarily a lack that my teacher went on a four month maternity leave.

amother

Cyclamen

Mon, Apr 01 2024, 1:58 pm

amother Periwinkle wrote:

You're mixing up federal and New Jersey law.
Federal law protects an employee from being fired or replaced for taking off up to 12 weeks total per year after a baby is born, if you work for a company that has at least 50 employees within a 75 Mi radius.

New Jersey law has an additional 12 weeks on top of standard temporary disability where they pay you. You can not be fired for taking this time but if you work for a company that has less than 50 employees and you are out 10 weeks or 18 weeks and during that time they hire someone else because they need someone to work and then your job is redundant, they do not have to rehire you.
If they have 50 or more employees then they must rehire you in that position or a position that is equal to the original one at the same pay.

Are you saying that if they have over 50 employees then they need to keep your job for 18 weeks? That’s something new. It was not an option when I worked for a lakewood agency. Maybe I should go back Wink