question for those who have a baby every year/frequently

amother

Thu, Jul 25 2013, 9:25 am

I had a baby last year and am due in a few months again. I am worried about my job security since I will be taking maternity leave again. I feel like the boss may not want to rehire me, find a reason to get rid of me, not ever move me up/give me more opportunities since I might have another baby and another every year.
Did anyone ever feel that their job place was annoyed that they took maternity leave every year? Did they ever say or do anything to make you feel jeopardized?

I know legally that they can't discriminate but they can always find another reason why someone else is better for the job.
When you tell them that you will be taking maternity leave again, do you find their reaction to be upset? Do you ever worry about your job?

amother

Thu, Jul 25 2013, 11:41 am

OP- is it safe to assume that you are in the US?

IME there are many different factors that come into play. The size of the company/business, the level of the employee taking leave, the length of the leave, the totality, and the time of year to name a few.

If you are a low level employee at a large firm and you take 6 weeks every year right around busy season without any telecommuting, you're probably going to find yourself out of a job. But if you're slightly higher on the ladder, or offer something unique to the team, or work from home a bit, all of these things decrease the likelihood of being let go.

You might want to go to your HR (or equivalent if you're working for a smaller operation) and let them know that you're expecting pretty early on. Give significant notice of your leave so a temp can be hired if neccessary. Perhaps you could work out what kinds of things you can still do while on leave togethet. Let them know that you want to stay current while you're away.

Even if it doesn't help your job security, it's still the mentchlich thing to do. Being a mentch helps to make you a valuable employee.

B'shaa Tova!

baskrox

Thu, Jul 25 2013, 11:59 am

I take my baby to work with me for the first few months and my frum boss is great about it. But I usually start going back to work at 2 1/2, 3 weeks for at least a couple hours a day and I'm back to regular hours by 6 weeks, so anything really urgent can be taken care of in a timely manner.