negotiating return from maternity leave

[jdenning]

Sorry if this has been discussed before, but I tried to do a search and it just took too long, and I didn't get any specific threads on the topic. Sorry for the long winded topic.

 

I am pregnant with our 3rd child, due in April. I won't bore anyone with any more details than that, but suffice it to say that this baby wasn't exactly planned and the pregnancy hasn't exactly been a smooth ride either. I'm actually home sick today, something totally rare for me, but I have probable pneumonia according to the urgent care doc I saw yesterday, so I guess that's a good reason to stay home. Not to mention the fact that I have severe laryngitis and can't talk.

 

I am the first PA in a respected neurology practice, and over the past 3 years have created a fairly unique role for myself. I have one SP who I work for the most, but also help with all the other docs and have expanded my realm of practice considerably from where I started. I started part time, then increased to a salaried position of 4 days per week. I get paid for part time hours but really put in a full time job, and I'm tired. I handle a lot of the phone/ER triage for the whole office in addition to my clinic. The docs all like my "super thorough" notes but don't seem to appreciate how much time those notes take to complete, or how much time the phone work takes.

 

I am happy enough in the practice to stay, but am realizing that with 2 kids and a new baby, my ability to handle my current practice and be the parent I want to be are probably not both possible at the same time.

 

I plan to be off for 3 months and then return. I am trying to decide if I should ask to come back initially at reduced hours with the idea of then working back in to 4 days per week, or if I should just ask to reduce from the get go. For any of you who have done this, how did you ask to come back? Did your employer work with you? If you were able to work reduced hours, did it make more sense to try to put a full day in and do fewer days per week or did it work better to do a partial day more like 5 days per week?

 

I would particularly welcome feedback from any breastfeeding moms (sorry guys, you just don't get it) on how they managed. It sounds like the clinic will allow me to schedule some pumping time on my calendar, but they'll only allow that for 6-8 weeks, which is really not helpful if you plan to try to breastfeed for at least a year, which I have been fortunate enough to do with my other kids. I think I'm fortunate in that I think my group will work with me in whatever capacity I want; I just haven't figured out what capacity that should be. I've asked HR and they told me that a salaried position is determined by job duties; not number of hours per week. There is a fair bit of "desktop" work I can do from home, and already do, but I don't have any idea of whether I could negotiate that.

 

I already have a full time nanny, and I've already realized that I'm going to have to pay her to keep her even while I'm on leave. I didn't get enough of a raise to really give her an increase, so I have some things to figure out there as well. Sometimes by the time I pay for the nanny and my kid's school and all their extra activities there is nothing left, but I'd rather work than stay home, so I don't mind the tradeoff.

 

I'd welcome any and all feedback. Thanks,

[aprillh]

Well first, congratulations on your pregnancy! I'm sorry it's been a tough one but hopefully things will settle down shortly. Maternity leave is always a sticky negotiating topic, isn't it? Especially when/if you have bosses who are men. I admire you though for wanting to give your family priority because they deserve it. I always remember that saying that no one gets to the end of their life and thinks "I wish I would have worked more".

 

For perspective, I'll give you a little of my background... I joined my current job when my oldest was 5 months old. I breastfed her for 11 months and pumped while I was at work. I blocked my schedule one 15 minute slot in the morning and one in the afternoon. I also pumped on my lunch hour. After being at my current job for a few years, I became pregnant with twins. It was a rough pregnancy because I was nauseous and vomiting for ~26 weeks, when that passed I was just so incredibly tired! You can't win! I took 4 months off for maternity leave and breastfed them for 17 months but only pumped at work (as before) for 1 year. I didn't so much negotiate my maternity leave as tell my bosses that I would like to be off work for 4 months. They weren't jumping for joy at this news but they certainly understood my perspective. I work independently here though so my leave would not be affecting that many people, other than the practice losing out on my revenue for that time. When I came back from leave, I resumed my normal hours - 4 days a week, ~7 hours/day.

 

I am in derm and my schedule is/was pretty flexible and I understand yours might not be. But it also sounds like your bosses really appreciate your work and want to keep you, whatever the conditions. I think it is up to you to decide what those conditions are. Personally, I would go back on a part-time basis after maternity leave but not promise them you will up your hours 'later'. You just can't predict how you will feel or what the needs of your family will be. And honestly, it is a whole different ball game when you become outnumbered by your kids!

 

I think you need to put a stop to working full time for part time salary. That is not fair to you and it's not fair to your bosses. They need to know how much work you put in behind the scenes, including work at home (which I would stop if at all possible). Are you with a hospital or large organization? HR may have their own guidelines but almost *anything* is negotiable if your SP(s) want it. You need to get them on your side and let them handle HR.

 

I hope this wanted too disjointed of a reply. I feel pretty strongly about this stuff! Please let me know if I can help in any other way!

 

April

[marilynpac]

Welcome to the mommy track ladies. I do have to say it's better now than when I was in my child bearing yrs...however we still have long strides to make. To the OP, if you have a full time nanny try to work your regular schedule but if you see you can't keep up then you just can't. Talk to your SP/administration and see if you can't work out a temporary deal. I admire you wanting to feed naturally but that is an added burden on you and the practice. Hopefully your newborn can get put on a feeding schedule, but most of the time that's fantasy. I would negotiate as much as possible always reminding them that this is temporary. I have many young women tell me about the extreme exhaustion. I always say "Rites of passage, you will live to tell the tale...we all do". Start negotiating.

[EMSArtist]

I would particularly welcome feedback from any breastfeeding moms (sorry guys, you just don't get it) on how they managed. It sounds like the clinic will allow me to schedule some pumping time on my calendar, but they'll only allow that for 6-8 weeks, which is really not helpful if you plan to try to breastfeed for at least a year, which I have been fortunate enough to do with my other kids.

 

If it sounds like they are going to restrict how long you will be allowed to schedule using a breast pump into your schedule, you should check on state laws regarding using a breast pump at work. I know some states offer little to no protection, and some states like NM are quite strict in protecting the rights of mothers to pump at work. (Had to fight that battle, and won it soundly)

 

Here is a decent listing of laws in various states... http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14389

 

Good luck!!