Due to my academically squandered Freshman year in college (practiced a lot of guitar, watched a lot of movies, took a lot of roadtrips), I will always hear the phrase "Business Ethics" in the voice of Adam Sandler playing the character Billy Madison.
I think a lot of us have brushes with business ethics all the time, but I have recently had a very classic dilemma: to maternity leave or not to maternity leave?
Here's the situation: I have gone back and forth about the merits of my job but I have decided I don't plan to go back. Basically this is my chance to try something I might like a lot more and I'm going to try it, and yeah I also want to be home most of the time with baby girl. I reserve the right to change my mind, but I don't plan on going back to my current job. I'm just over it. It's a good job but I don't like it. Maybe I sound like a spoiled brat.
I recently shared this with my current supervisor, who advised me to not make my decision yet. Wait and see how the freelance thing is going, she said, and in the meantime get your disability pay. Others I have talked to in a more theoretical sense have said the same thing. Take the money, you earned it, everyone does it, etc.
Except for HR. I talked to HR and they told me that disability pay for new mommies is not supposed to be a reward for work you have already done. It is an incentive to retain employees. Also, I know that each person that takes advantage of the situation to "take the money and run" makes it that much harder for the next pregnant woman to be taken seriously.
But, we could really use the money. ESPECIALLY because I don't plan on coming back. And because our house is never done breaking. Though it's not like we're going to be on food stamps. We'll just tighten the budget until things start to take off with ye olde business.
(Side note: I realize the whole "starting a home-based business" is becoming a bit cliche among certain mommies, but luckily my business is going to be based on skills I have a master's degree and many years of experience in, not a trendy thing I can sell on etsy. I am hoping this increases my chances of prospering. And I am already doing it; I just need to expand.)
Anyway I made my decision. But I am curious what my 2-3 readers think about the ethics of maternity leave.
5 comments:
If they are going to pay you and don't require you to come back, then you should do it. Most places require six months of employment AFTER you come back. Surprised your place hasn't thought of that! Besides, as good as things are now, six months from now, things could be a whole lot different (and poorer), so it'd be nice to have a stable income to fall back on, in a worst case scenario. If your plan works, which I'm sure it will, then all the better since you won't be stressing about money and not having a backup plan.
As someone who works in a place with a plethora of pregnant women, I know where HR is coming from. We've had people quit on us after the maternity leave money ran out which caused us to scramble to find a replacement. It causes pain to those who have to do your work for the next four months (we're generous with maternity leave here) and then get screwed with doing it some more because you decided to quit and the bosses have to look for a replacement.
Everyone does it, but it's nice when the person does come back especially in this economy where you aren't replaced quickly.
I'm more on Abby's side. Everyone does it but morally I think if you took the benefit then you should at least return long enough for them to find a replacement so you don't leave them struggling.
Do what is good for your family.
Ha. You have all done a good job of illustrating what I have been thinking about!
Chris and I also went over the question how long would I have to go back for it to be legitimate? And no the company does not require a certain amount of time.
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