what if i don't return after maternity leave...please help!

melisgood · February 2013

Hi Girls,

My maternity leave is scheduled to start after this week. After many conversations with my husband, it sounds like it is better for our family if I do not continue to work after baby #2 is here. I was considering going on maternity leave and then returning for a week or two and giving my notice. From the paperwork I have, it says if I fail to return to work after maternity leave all together then I have to pay back what my employer has paid towards my benefits while I am on leave. Is there any way of calculating how much this would be? Has anyone done this? I feel like it is slightly unethical to plan on not returning, but I'm thinking if it ends up being too difficult to return even for a few weeks, I'd like to know how much I'm in the hole for. I am considering talking to my boss end of this week and telling her I do not plan on returning and would like to just give my notice, unless she can help to place me in another position with shorter shifts (currently working 12 hour shifts). I only want a very part time position.

What would you do in my position?

hatroopes · February 2013

If you are not planning on returning, then give your notice. There is no need for you to go trying to calculate how much you would owe. And you're right, it is unethical to say you will return when you don't plan to.

If this is your last week, then you need to be talking to your boss ASAP.

kgs0505 · February 2013

Ask your benefits people to find out how much they pay for your benefits. I have a program at work that actually shows me what they pay and it's quite a bit. If I was you, I'd just go back to work for a couple days and give two weeks notice after that. They may have you leave immediately or keep you for those two weeks to tie up whatever you need to tie up.

However, if you really don't think you are going back to work, and you have health beenfits you can get on immediately through your husband, I would give notice. Make sure you can get on your husband's health insurance now instead of during open enrollment if you aren't on it already. Because if you can't you'll have to pay for insurance through COBRA and that is pricey. You don't want a drop in your coverage because then you will suddenly be a "pre-existing condition" and no one will cover your maternity expenses.

melisgood · February 2013

i am currently on my husbands insurance, so this will not be a problem. I am also hesitant to go back for only 2 weeks or so and give notice because this is my only job out of college (almost 4 years with this company) and I want a good reference to use for the future when I decide to return to the workforce.

When I return to work, there are a few things I have to catch up on and retrain on, so it's not just jumping back to how things are now. I feel like it's going to be difficult to work for even the couple weeks. It would of course be nice to get the maternity leave pay from disability and the sick time at work that will otherwise not be paid out. My DH thinks I should suck it up for a couple weeks upon return and then quit. Would my employer give me a less than satisfactory recommendation if I did this? Would another future employer learn I did this and be less likely to hire me?

RussianMommy · February 2013

are you in canada or US?

melisgood · February 2013

US....why?

RussianMommy · February 2013

melisgood:
US....why?

because not everyone here is in the US and the laws are different between the 2 countries... If you were in Canada, I could give you advice....sorry, hope it works out for you

tilsonc · February 2013

I would use your maternity leave. You can come back and put in your notice. I am sure it happens a lot. I would estimate how much you would have to pay by looking at your benefits (and take the cost and times it by 2) on your paycheck for a rough estimate. You could also ask HR. The benefit of being paid while you are gone will outweight how much you will have to pay. My company puts us on short term disability and I am using PBA and VACA. These are benefits you have earned and a 3rd party is paying STD as part of the insurance. I am sure you have paid for disability on your pay checks. I would not feel bad...but thats just me.

llbta85 · February 2013

A few women did this at my old firm, it did not sit well at all. If you want to use this company as a reference in the future you should tell them that you don't plan to return. If you really aren't sure if you want to return full time part time, etc, have a frank discussion with HR and your boss to let them know your feelings so they are blindsided.

Truchana · February 2013

I work in HR, to be honest I'm not sure how your company can collect the money for your benefits during that time. Are they simply referring to the biweekly or weekly premiums you pay during that time? If so, that is normal regardless if you were on maternity leave or some other medical leave where you aren't getting paid.

If it were me, I would go on maternity leave and as the time gets closer to return, "re-evaluate" your plans. Plan to take your 12 weeks, of which most companies will only provide STD for the 6-8 weeks depending on type of delivery. Around week 8, begin having conversations with your employer regarding potentially coming back part time if that's an option. If they aren't open to it, say you will come back FT. If you put in your notice a few weeks later, they can't be entirely surprised since you asked to come back part time.

The other option is to see if they will let you go on extended leave, meaning they can post your role so no job protection, but when you plan to return, say around month 9, you can reapply for any current openings.

heddy79 · February 2013

I'm in this boat. I'm not returning to work after my maternity leave because my DH is changing jobs and we are moving to another state. We are on my insurance and to avoid being w/o it, I'm not resigning until he starts his new job...they are starting our ins on day one. My boss is aware of whats going on and she told me to submit my resignation when I'm ready. I will have to pay the premiums back for the time out and will just get a bill.

kal42672 · February 2013

I would probably ask about a part time position with your company first. If there is not a part time position available then I would return back to work and if you have to give your notice after a few weeks then do it. If the company decided to let you go they wouldn't give you any notice. I just think you have to think about what is best for you and your family. I think that as long as you give your 2 week notice they couldn't say anything bad about you.

blondbomber23 · February 2013

I was in your position with my first child. I wasn't 100% sure but was fairly sure. I resigned during maternity leave. We are required to give 90 days notice or pay $10,000, so I had to return for 7 weeks full time once my baby was born (the 90 days started when I put in my resignation). I received 100% pay for the first 6 weeks of maternity leave (I took 12 total- 6 paid, 6 unpaid). I didn't completely intentionally wait to resign but I did feel like I had "earned" that given that I had been there so long and paid for short term disability.

Anyway, I think the "right" answer varies a lot with each person based on $$ lost and how much it's worth it to you. I will say that it was VERY hard returning for those 7 weeks. I'm not sure if I would have done it that way again or not.
With this baby I already mostly SAH. I work 1-2 days per week doing what I did before (but in a different hospital).
Good luck deciding!

ETA: I should add that my employer was aware that I may not return after maternity leave. There was talk of going part-time while I was on maternity leave, but they wanted me to stay full time. It was after that point that I put in my resignation. The person that hired me at my current part-time job knew my old boss well and had no issues with hiring me. I was also very open and honest at my interview as to why I had left my previous job. Better to leave for a reason like that than most other possibilites, IMO.

melisgood · February 2013

Thanks for all the feedback. I am currently part time with benefits. I work 2 12-hour shifts a week. My DH simply doesn't want to be on baby duty on the days I have to work from 5am-when i leave around 6am and have to get my other 3 year old ready for school and drop her off. He changed to a new job and sometimes has to be in the office at 7 or 8. My mom has been picking up my daughter in the afternoons when I work and caring for her until 7 or 8pm (I'm usually home around 8pm). She is burnt out and I know if I continue to work, we would have to hire someone to watch the baby for 12 hours and pick up my dauhgter in the afternoon (putting the baby in the car). It just doesn't seem worth it. Since DH is wanting me to stay at home, it seems like a good time for me to do this for a while anyways. Down the road, I will probably want to find a part time position with shorter shifts so it doesn't stress him out so much in the morning.

I think the reason this is so hard for me, is because there is still a part of me that would like to continue working. =/

erbear · February 2013

hatroopes:
If you are not planning on returning, then give your notice. There is no need for you to go trying to calculate how much you would owe. And you're right, it is unethical to say you will return when you don't plan to.
If this is your last week, then you need to be talking to your boss ASAP.

This.

erbear · February 2013

hatroopes:
If you are not planning on returning, then give your notice. There is no need for you to go trying to calculate how much you would owe. And you're right, it is unethical to say you will return when you don't plan to.
If this is your last week, then you need to be talking to your boss ASAP.

This.

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what if i don't return after maternity leave...please help!

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