Leave question - Work Related

Sewilson33

DH and I have been discussing my options for after the baby and we have pretty much decided that I would leave work 3 weeks before my due date and once the baby is born, be a stay at home Mom. I currently working in accounting and I love the people I work with(well some of them) but I HATE my job. I have been trying to go into teaching but we decided that I would switch careers after we had a baby. Of course that ended up take a year and a half longer than we expected but we are thankfully here now and ready to make the move.
DH said I should tell my job January 2nd that I am planning on being a stay at home Mom after the baby and not returning to work. This would give them 45 days to find a replacement for a full time position. Also, I would be guaranteed by 2 weeks paid time off this way as well. Technically, they should be starting to look for a part time replacement in the next month for my maternity leave, so if they do find someone I am hoping that person would take on the full time position instead.

My question is:
Is January 2nd too short of notice if I plan on leaving February 13th?
Should I mention that being a full time stay at home Mom is an option versus coming back part time after a 3 month leave?

brij2006

If you are dead set on being a SAHM after baby is here, then I would tell them that so they can hire someone full time instead of part time just for your MAT leave. 

Are you close with your boss and co-workers?  This would make a difference to me in when I would tell them.  I'm due mid February and if I had chosen to not come back then I would have told them that from the minute my maternity leave was discussed.  However, if there are some issues where you may think they will get rid of you prior to then, I would do as you had planned. 

Sewilson33

@brij2006 - I don't think they would push me out earlier than my requested time, but I do worry that I wouldn't get my 2 weeks PTO.
I do have a great relationship with my supervisors and I know the owner loves me I am just more nervous/guilty for wanting to be a SAHM.
I don't feel I need to discuss it right now with them about my future plans even though they keep bringing it up every week. I do think I have the right to keep the plans to myself a little bit longer before I tell them I will not be coming back afterwards.
I do fear that if I told them that NOW I would either be treated differently at work, maybe be pushed out sooner, or they will look at my differently.

zamboni00

I actually asked pretty much the same question

I love the company I work (ed) for, and wanted to give them as much warning as possible that I wasn't coming back, but I also had to protect myself.

My plan was to give them about 3-4 months notice, which I felt was enough for then to hire a replacement instead of a temp and for me to train them.

Luckily, they were ok with me coming back part-time, and decided they would also hire a new full-timer that I would work with when I returned.

I felt a lot better about leaving, knowing they were covered with not just a temp, but hopefully someone who will stay on if I return or not.

I am most likely not going back, but H and I realized we needed to leave our options open, just in case something happened that made it a better decision for us to have me go back.

brij2006

I feel like giving them notice on January 2nd for you to be done February 13th is a bit short of a notice.  Especially given the relationship you have with your supervisors. 

Sewilson33

@zamboni00 - have you told them you might not come back at all yet? I really want to get someone in here by November for part time so that I can start training/feeling them out for my position. That way when I do tell them my plan I feel confident of the person I am leaving them with.

@brij2006 - I want to say something in December, DH thinks I should wait until January but I feel the same as you, it might be very short notice.

brij2006

I would agree with you and do December.  

The way that I look at it, if I have a great working relationship with my employer then I want to leave on a good note.  So if they hire someone to replace you during your leave and that person is only part time and can only work part time (most people choose part time jobs because that's what works best for them), then they're stuck trying to find someone else part time to fill the remainder of the position.  Or they have to figure out whether or not to keep that part time person they just hired, because now they need someone full time.  

I personally would tell them the plan from the start, but my relationship with my bosses and co-workers is very open and there would be no doubt in my mind that my PTO would be depleted or I would be let go early. 

zamboni00

I let them know that if I come back it will be part time. They know I can't make any promises, because I have no idea what my new life will be like with these babies, but that it will either be part time or not at all. And I said I would return by the end of January, if I were to return, but they said I should take an extra month, if I need it. They are making if really hard!! I know I will never find another company like this one, so I am not making a definite decision until we adjust to our new life a bit.

aggiebug

Ugh I feel like this could have been me asking this question about a month ago. I have been jaded by my work since then so I may be biased, but be prepared for worst case scenario. If you tell them in December are you ok with not working all of January?

If you are then given them extra time to hire and twIn a replacement. Otherwise I would protect yourself and wait.