Changing jobs during pregnancy

EmeraldNC · January 2017

Ladies... I am SERIOUSLY considering a career change. Can those of you that have switched jobs during your pregnancy talk to me about how that effected your insurance/leave/etc? Would you do it again, or not?

Tell me ALL the things you think I need to be aware of/know. The good/the bad and the ugly!

Elyse1384 · January 2017

So I can't say that I personally made a move while pregnant, but my colleague did. She started with my company at 6 months pregnant, but no one knew when she was hired. She insists she told HR about the pregnancy, but something must have been lost in translation. It made for a VERY awkward first week and there were some poor working relationships established with her peers as result (everyone has since gotten over it). While I wouldn't disclose the pregnancy during the interview process if it isn't terribly obvious, I would suggest that if you get an offer perhaps using the opportunity to tell the team so you don't experience new hire awkwardness or backlash with working relationships after the fact. Just my opinion... legally you don't have to say I thing though.

acrose0226 · January 2017

Agree with @Elyse1384 on giving a courtesy "heads up" on your pregnancy if you do get a job offer. My husband is changing jobs/careers and when he accepted his new position with his new company (he starts in just a few weeks), he told them that I'm pregnant with our first and that he'll be taking some time off in June when the baby is born. Not required disclosure, but helps to get things started on the right foot with being transparent.

I've hired women who are pregnant before - at my former company, we hired a woman who was ~4 months pregnant and at my current company we did the same. It was a bit challenging for them to get up to speed and start demonstrating their value/contribution to the company before going out on leave, but they did their best. I think that could be one of the challenges -- getting yourself to the point where you feel valued as an employee and like you're making an impact before disappearing for a few months.

Best of luck with your decision!!

delujm0 · January 2017

I'd give them a heads up once you have an offer in your hand, but I wouldn't say anything during the interview process. If you work hard enough and are a super great employee before you have the baby, they'll want you to come back.

That being said, leave could be a problem, so if you do get an offer, I suggest negotiating your leave before accepting it. FMLA protections only apply to people who have been with the company for at least a year - so unless the employer has their own better maternity leave policy, technically you would have zero job protection while on leave. Meaning that they could hire someone else to take your place and you'd have no job to return to. Again, if you are a super great employee before leaving, they're less likely to want to do that, but there would be no law requiring them to take you back. If they do have a separate maternity leave policy, you'd want to know if a minimum tenure requirement is involved - some places have it and some don't. Additionally, if their policy is simply that you get paid out by Short Term Disability insurance while on leave, you're likely out of luck on money - STD policies consider pregnancy a "pre-existing condition" and will either bar you from signing up for them if you are already pregnant, or will stipulate that they only pay out for pregnancy leaves if you've been with the company for a certain amount of time (typically a year).

I wouldn't personally change jobs while pregnant unless stuff was really bad or unless my current job had no leave policy anyway so I wouldn't be losing anything. I'm considering an internal move when I get back from leave, but I'd just feel kind of bad accepting a position and then bouncing for 16 weeks as soon as I get up to speed (my employer gives all full time employees 16 weeks fully paid for maternity (or "primary caregiver") leave, and also has a separate paternity (or "secondary caregiver") policy that I think is 8 weeks fully paid). I will likely start looking for other positions when I get back from leave. I've been in this position for two years now so it's getting a little boring. But it has great flexibility and work-life balance, so it's tough to leave with young kids in the house.

EmeraldNC · January 2017

@delujm0 I am SO jealous of your company's leave policies!!!

edit: grammar

lizerspitz · January 2017

I'm going through this now. I had a final interview early Dec and received an offer the next week. I mulled around the idea of telling them with a couple people with widely different opinions, and came to the conclusion to tell them before accepting.

I set up an appointment to talk the letter over with the supervisor and "came out" as 3 months pregnant. She then was given a chance to talk about the company's policies-everyone is different- and did have a minor concern over health insurance but I'm staying on my husbands. In this office, July through August are slower and she gave me a lot of personal anicdotes that shared her view that the office supports families and working moms.

For me, I was happy to hear all that and to receive reassurance that the office would be supportive and really a good fit after all.

I start Thursday. I'm feeling more stress and anticipation about how my commute and transition into a new industry will be vs thinking about health concerns or baby planning- though daycare has definitely been up there. My new job will bring a desk job, but two 10 minute walks between metro stops each way, so I've gotten some advice on a pregnancy belt and compression socks from my Ob. And advice not to fall on ice. Lol. I'dve been more hesitant to take a more physical or standing job, but that's not the industry I work in.

id be happy to keep you up to date on my transition as you look for new work.

delujm0 · January 2017

@emeraldNC yeah they have gotten some bad press this year, and their major competitor that has its headquarters in the same city as we have massive operations in suddenly released a similar (but actually even better) leave policy, so I think they felt like if they didn't follow suit people would leave here and go work for the competitor instead. I mean even though they were backed into a corner on it, i'll take it. For my first leave I got 6 weeks fully paid out of STD (and it was only fully paid bc I had been at the company for more than 5 years - if I'd been here less time it would have been 60% pay) and then additional 6 weeks unpaid. it wasn't great, but it was better than what a lot of people have. DD started sleeping through the night like the week after I went back to work so I hope this one does the same because that would give me 3 weeks of decent sleep before heading back to the office this time around. Doubt it will work out that way though, I'm not that lucky!

awillis13 · January 2017

I'm planning on looking for a new job for next school year. Unfortunately, jobs for the upcoming school year typically get posted starting in March, right up to the start of the school year. There is going to be no hiding that I'm pregnant, so I think depending on when I actually give birth my plan would be to just tell any new employer that I don't plan on missing any time next year, and potentially only taking 8 weeks rather than 12.

I'm so unhappy in my current district (this is my first year in a brand new position and the commute is terrible, plus my workload should be shared between 2 people, I have so many students I oversee). Also, we will have to move eventually (only have 2 br currently and our boys are already sharing the 2nd room), and SS lives in the opposite direction from my work. We would love in that direction to be closer to him, which would make this commute just awful.

lizerspitz · January 2017

I do agree with @delujm0 that you have to be very aware of what kind of maternity leave you will be leaving in your former job and what to expect in your new one. My leave, from what I understand of it, will be on the short end of typical, and will most likely be self funded. The good thing is that the woman I talked to shared her own birth story where she was a month early and had to stay home longer than planned, so I know that they are at least realistic on what maternity leave could look like in all of its natural forms. That really was one of the comments that lead to my greatest relief.

You won't know how they will treat you unless you ask. I went back and forth for so long into how to approach or ignore the conversation and I'm glad I brought it us.

hopeful808 · January 2017

I would be extremely careful due to leave especially if you want to take 12 weeks off and not the 6-8 weeks. Some workplaces follow the FLMA laws strictly without exceptions. My last employer was like that and denied my FLMA claim even though I was less then one work weeks hours from meeting the minimum. I hadn't realized there was a loophole for 10 month employees. They did not fire me, but I only took 6 weeks.

LOTON01 · January 2017

Most STD plans must be in effect 10 months before date of delivery. Unless you have a privately bought plan this could mess up a new job. This would be more about getting paid for leave.

sochoa-2 · January 2017

I am a teacher and recently left one school district and starting get a new one next week. I'm not sure how this will affect insurance or my leave. But the good news is ill be delivering over summer vacation and will possibly be ready to go back by the start of the new school year in August! I told my new employer the day of my offer, kept it positive by saying "I want to schedule my remaining prenatal appoints so they don't interfere with the school day". My new principal was so appreciative of that! I was also offered to buy out my former insurance policy til the end of my pregnancy....so that is still an option for me if needed.

ChrisLipstick · January 2017

I am applying for new jobs. I live in Canada so things are a bit different, but I think as long as I pass probation which is generally 3 months, I believe they would have to keep my job for me. I could get a small, small amount of maternity pay with my current job, but I am so unmotivated and I really don't want to come back (and I would be locked into coming back and working for a certain period if I take the money). If I get something that is really interesting, I am going to make the jump.

theweevee · January 2017

*lurking from July 2017* I'd echo everyone who said to say something after you get an offer but before you accept. The one thing I'd add if you don't know anyone who already works at the new company - you may be surprised by the culture after you arrive. I started my current job in January 2016, and I'm dreading going public with the pregnancy. While leave is great and so on on a company wide basis, my team is NOT supportive in that way. I'm definitely going to get some side eye after only a year and change.

EmeraldNC · January 2017

I currently am a teacher. This is my 9th school year, and I just don't know if this is for me anymore. I literally cry before having to come to work everyday... my student's are very difficult and demanding this year, I have a caseload of 37 students... and it is just all getting to me. I think I will regret it if I leave as far as benefits, time off, vacation, etc... but I just don't know if my heart is in it anymore........ OR if it is just the raging pregnancy hormones.

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and opinions!

ChrisLipstick · January 2017

@EmeraldNC I am so sorry to hear that you job has you so down. Can you switch to another grade or to another school? Do you think that would be helpful?

EmeraldNC · January 2017

@ChrisLipstick I actually do think a different school would help... and I've been considering it for next school year. The school I came from was low income, high risk students... and I loved it! Although they were a different type of challenge... those students loved coming to school, and respected their teachers (if the teacher respected them of course.) These students are a very different population... Very entitled. Lots of attitude.

hopeful808 · January 2017

Can you apply for an internal position? If you transfer internally at the same status you should keep your seniority and benefits.

awillis13 · January 2017

@EmeraldNC I have been feeling the same way. I switched to a position that doesn't directly work with students, which I love, but the district is a bad match for me. I have been feeling so burnt out in education, but giving up the pension and benefits is hard to do.

Ahutch428 · January 2017

@EmeraldNC That sounds like my school year last year. They were the worst kids I ever had. When they opened a new school in the district, I jumped at the chance. This year has been so much better. Just wanted to say if you choose to stick it out, it could get better!

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