I want to quit my job but I get paid maternity leave!

wenmatt · November 2014

I'm looking for some advice ladies! I've worked for a company for almost 8 years and have been wanting to quit for a while now. With that said, I really don't plan on going back to work once my paid maternity leave ends but I don't know the best way to go about letting them know. When do I bring it up to my boss? Obviously telling him now isn't an option because I'll be taken off the books when I pop and I won't get any paid leave. So do I call them a week before my maternity leave ends and tell them I won't be coming back? Or do I go in for a week after my leave ends and put in my notice? Has anyone had a similar situation?

UnofficiallyLO · November 2014

I was in a similar situation and on my 12 week leave, I gave them notice I wasn't coming back 4 weeks prior to my scheduled return date.

Linnea503 · November 2014

By taking paid leave with no intention of going back you are doing a huge disservice to other women who work in your company. The more people who abuse this (rare) benefit, the more likely your company is to discontinue it. Besides, as others said, it likely only works that way if you go back.

If your heart is set on SAH, give proper notice and just be done when the baby comes. Presumably you can afford it if you've been planning to stay home. You won't get the paid leave but you'll get your vacation payout.

wenmatt · November 2014

UnofficiallyLO said:

I was in a similar situation and on my 12 week leave, I gave them notice I wasn't coming back 4 weeks prior to my scheduled return date.

When you gave them notice 4 weeks before your scheduled return date, I assume you didn't get that last month of paid leave?

Linnea503 · November 2014

So, OP essentially you are looking for advice on how to dishonestly cheat the system your employer has in place? Classy.

Look, I know you feel you've "earned" this money by working there 8 years. And you have...if you go back. A paid leave is a benefit for working parents who return to their jobs. It is not a way to collect a free severence package for those who want to quit.

caybeh · November 2014

I would have gotten short term disability at 75% for leave. However, I couldn't in good conscience take it knowing that I was going to be a SAHM and quit anyway. I quit two weeks before my due date and didn't take the leave. GL on what you decide.

MesmrEwe · November 2014

Before jumping in head first to SAHM, if you can't afford to not get paid for the 12 weeks of leave, then you likely don't have the finances in order to go for the next 18 years without monetary pay for your work. Same goes for losing your benefit package/insurance before LO arrives. SAH is not all sunshine and unicorn farts.

Other than that - what the PP have said - it's kind of "itty" to do that to an employer - I'd consider it a burned bridge that you never know you just might need as well as risking the benefit for those either presently or into the future who really do need that 12 weeks of PTO if they have a health issue (NICU, bed rest, etc.) that they need every second of that time.

UnofficiallyLO · November 2014

wenmatt said:

UnofficiallyLO said:

I was in a similar situation and on my 12 week leave, I gave them notice I wasn't coming back 4 weeks prior to my scheduled return date.

When you gave them notice 4 weeks before your scheduled return date, I assume you didn't get that last month of paid leave?

The company paid 6 weeks of my 12 and I paid myself the rest thru acquired PTO. They didn't terminate me in the system until my scheduled return date so that my insurance was not disrupted in that time period.

lexusolsen · November 2014

UnofficiallyLO said:

wenmatt said:

UnofficiallyLO said:

I was in a similar situation and on my 12 week leave, I gave them notice I wasn't coming back 4 weeks prior to my scheduled return date.

When you gave them notice 4 weeks before your scheduled return date, I assume you didn't get that last month of paid leave?

The company paid 6 weeks of my 12 and I paid myself the rest thru acquired PTO. They didn't terminate me in the system until my scheduled return date so that my insurance was not disrupted in that time period.

This is rare and I'm amazed they didn't make you pay for the healthcare costs, which they could have legally done.

wenmatt · November 2014

Thank you all for the advice. Maybe I wasn't clear in my initial post, but I didn't mean for it to sound like I was going to become a SAHM. Massachusetts has a paid maternity leave law so I thought that it pertained to everyone, even people who quit their jobs afterward. I didn't mean to come off as a huge selfish B as I'm sure I did! Honestly I just want to find a work from home job because we can't afford daycare. If I can't find one, then the right thing for me to do would be to go back to work for a few months, give my notice, train my replacement, and try to find a much better paying job in the meantime.

fancefpp · November 2014

MA does not have a paid maternity leave law. They have a maternity leave law that applies to certain employers/ees but it's job protection for 8 weeks, not paid, unless your employers allows for it. A lot of employers have short term disability that you pay into as an employee.

PrimRoseMama · November 2014

I think it's unethical & shady to take paid maternity leave when you plan on SAHM. Tell your boss now, quit & don't scam your employer. C'mon now. :-w

mc0113 · November 2014

The best thing to do is to always be open and honest with your boss and HR department. If you are unsure about returning then talk to them and find out the policies. But, if you have 100% made up your mind then you need to let them know soon that you will not be returning and deal with the potential loss of that maternity leave.

I have discussed my uncertainty about returning to work after this baby with both my boss and HR. They had the same answer - they don't want me to make a decision right now and potentially regret it later so they said to take my paid 8 weeks maternity leave and let them know how I feel afterwards. And if I feel that I need more time, I can take a year unpaid leave after my paid leave or not return and there will be no repercussions. Idk I guess I just work for a very lenient organization. They never once made me feel that if I don't return that I was doing something wrong or a disservice to anyone. But it makes me feel better and I'm sure them feel better that I have discussed this with them openly instead of keeping it a secret.

estefyp4 · November 2014

You can also try just going back to work part time to see how you like it and that way you have the chance to work a little and make extra money and if you find that you want to stay home then your company will understand your priorities have changed.. as far as working from home well I am not sure how that would take your time but as someone doing schooling from home it does take a lot of time and effort just something else to consider. good luck!

jensriot · November 2014

amt1983 said:

amt1983 said:

What if OP wanted to find another job right now? It is extremely unlikely that she could because she is visibly pregnant. Under the unheard of circumstances where she did find a new job, many employers wouldn't give her maternity benefits because they require a year of employment first. Pregnant working women in the US are stuck between a rock and a hard place. OP, I think you are accepting a benefit you are entitled to. If you think there's any chance at all you'll return to work after your leave is over, you should accept the leave in clear conscience. Taking leave and then quitting is like accepting payout for accumulated vacation when you quit. Your company policy gives these things to you as a benefit and you are entitled to take them.

This is an incredibly dumb thing to say. You don't know what her company's leave policy is.

Many, many companies require you to pay back what you were paid during a paid maternity leave if you do not return to work.
Many many companies don't require that. No company I have ever worked at has required that. It goes without saying that the execution of her maternity leave and return to work should be informed by her specific company's policy.

In many cases if they don't require repayment, then it isn't leave paid by the company, but short term disability paid by insurance. Many companies require you to pay for the insurance premiums while on leave or pay the company back if you quit. It is still dumb to say the company owes her the pay if she doesn't intend to return.

lindsey1031 · November 2014

farmrsboywife said:

@CurlingRocks‌ My first was a unicorn baby! I can see if I have my second first I a) wouldn't have a second, and b) would have thought differently.

My first is no unicorn!! He keeps me on my toes and is one intense kid! But I'm going to try to SAH for all the babies I have (hoping there are more!) if we can financially swing it.

OP, I also had to wait until it was time for me to return to work before putting in my notice. I came back for a bit, tied up loose ends, then put in my notice as if I had just made the decision recently because it was hard to find the balance between working and mommying. I offered to help interview my replacement. I was a teacher though, and the system may be very different from your company. This is what worked in my situation.

wenmatt · November 2014

fancefpp said:

MA does not have a paid maternity leave law. They have a maternity leave law that applies to certain employers/ees but it's job protection for 8 weeks, not paid, unless your employers allows for it. A lot of employers have short term disability that you pay into as an employee.

You are correct. I got more information and it's 60% paid disability.

Linnea503 · November 2014

wenmatt said:

fancefpp said:

MA does not have a paid maternity leave law. They have a maternity leave law that applies to certain employers/ees but it's job protection for 8 weeks, not paid, unless your employers allows for it. A lot of employers have short term disability that you pay into as an employee.

You are correct. I got more information and it's 60% paid disability.

So... you get 60% short term disability pay? I would not consider this a "paid leave." A true paid leave is when the employer (not an insurance company) continues to pay all or part of your salary. Having to use your own accrued vacation and sick pay is also not a paid leave, as I define it. A true paid leave is exceedingly rare in this country hence part of why many of us are confused as to why you implied you would abuse it.

If it is truly just a shot term disability policy get the details on how exactly that works. Sometimes it takes a few weeks of an unpaid leave waiting period before it kicks in. It may only pay for the time you are "disabled" from childbirth (6-8 weeks generally depending on delivery.) So if you have a normal vaginal birth and a three week waiting period, you may only be entitled to 60% pay for the remaining three weeks of your disability period. Again, not what I would call "paid leave."

The bottom line is still: check with your HR department. Get all the facts. Good luck!

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I want to quit my job but I get paid maternity leave!

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