![]() I've heard others suggest that you should just have a pithy, succinct message: "I'll be ending maternity leave on X date." - but you shouldn't try to work out flextime/part-time/working-from-home arrangements until a month before you come back. Be clear that you plan to return, but if you can leave yourself some flexibility in the details. (I'm not sure if that sounds odd or not - but that kind of summarizes my happy but stoic view of parenthood in general: you do what you must for your family and you figure it out.) ![]() That said, women do what you have to do, and if you have to return to work in six weeks, you'll figure it out. If it's at all possible, I do recommend taking at least twelve weeks off if you can because newborns' crying peaks from weeks six to eight - in addition to being a sleepless zombie during that time period you may be uncomfortable leaving your screaming child with a new caregiver. The Family Medical Leave Act allows people to keep their job for up to twelve weeks, but it only applies to businesses with more than 50 employees. This is a separate post all on its own, but figure out what your office policy is on maternity leave. But I think, in general, that when you move to maternity pants is the right time to say something official to your boss. I suppose there's an argument that she could wait even longer - after all, there's that old joke that you should never guess a woman is pregnant unless you actually see a baby coming out of her. So I don't see any reason to start telling people until she starts to show - especially when a female supervisor is suggesting she wait. (Every woman is different, but many first-time mothers don't start showing until week 20 or so (that was when I had to make the jump to proper maternity pants a girlfriend who is very petite and tiny just told me she didn't announce it until she was five months along as well).) If she were quitting her job entirely a month would be generous notice. (She should be in the "sweet spot" for pregnancy - most women experience much less nausea, fatigue, and other pregnancy aches and pains in their second trimester.) She may not start to show for another two months. But she's still got six months to go before she'll need maternity leave, so why would she tell the powers that be? Here are my thoughts: she won't need special accommodations. It can be tough to work productively during your first trimester, but K is happily past that. Any suggestions on the timing of all of this and how the conversation should go down?Ĭongratulations! Here are some thoughts, both for K and other first-time moms: I was planning on providing my fact-based plan of action (6 weeks short term disability, begin part time work during that time as I am able, child care taken care of, etc) at the same time. Is it better for me to rip the band-aid off and express these concerns with the managing partner (who I think I can have an honest discussion with) or wait until I have to tell so that there is more time for me to continue to get assigned the good work (ie, before the guys subconsciously take me off the fast track). Next year is the year I expected a big jump based on profitability, etc, and I hope this timing doesn't derail all of that hard work. Besides my desire to remain on good cases, other "concerns" discussed are: 1) the fact that bonuses happen at end of the year (and that I not draw the short stick in an otherwise profitable year) and 2) review/raise time in early spring (while I am on maternity leave). She doesn't think I should tell them right away so that I have more time where they are continuing to give me good assignments. I planned on telling people next week, but confidentially shared the news over lunch with a female partner (I am beginning my fourth year as an associate on partner track) and her concern was my timing in terms of telling the guys/powers that be about the pregnancy. ![]() I have made it through the 1st trimester without anyone noticing my being drag-ass tired and have somehow kept up respectable billable hours in the meantime. Wondering what the readers think about the timing of telling your firm you are pregnant. How (and when) do you tell your boss you're pregnant? What should you factor into consideration? I've had three different Corporette readers write to me with a question along these lines, so now seems like a great time to discuss this. ![]()
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