Maternity leave question - 6 or 9 months off?

[Welshie]

I have had a meeting with my boss today as we had to do a risk assessment and she had to give me some policies etc.

Anyway i take home £1350 a month. If i had 6 months off i would take home £1100, if i had 9 months off i would take home £900.

I also will have 6 weeks annual leave that i can use too.

Im swaying towards the 6 months plus 6 weeks annual leave. I would be back in work the middle of march and then i would get another 6 weeks annual leave starting the 1st of april. Also as they dont get anyone to replace me whilst im off, i will come back to a shed load of work as it is.

What would you do???

Thanks

 

[Lilli]

Hiya, i havent told my bosses yet or had the joy of an HR meeting so don't know what my figures would work out as... I'm probably going to go for the maximum i can. You don't have to decide now though. I'm pretty sure you just have to let them know, in writing, a month before you plan on going back. It's really difficult, you might love being at home 24-7 or you might be craving adult conversation?!
We'll have to go through the nursery/childminder search as well before i can go back... hardly going to make it worth it for me once we've paid childcare.
Maybe i'll just stay at home with baby! Wonder what hubby would say to that...

 

[Littlechimpma]

I think I will take the 9 months, with any annual leave on top. You will never get this time back with baby and although the work will be there for you, its only work and I think that when we have a family our priorities change!

Don't think you should have to make your decision this early though.

 

[rtracey80]

guess it depends if your finances can manage on the £900 if not id go for the 6 months. your lucky you have this option. i will only be having 6 weeks maternity leave off as i only get full pay for that long, then it drops to something like £124 a week which is nothing when i take home just over £1400 a month. then ill be adding 3 weeks annual leave to the end so ill be off for 9 weeks in total

 

[bobbyrabbit]

Finance is obviously a big factor in your decision and as someone else says it depends whether you can manage on the lower amount.
But I def think while its a good idea to have an idea about what you want to do, don't feel that you have to make a decision now. You don't need to commit to work to come back and can then just go back anytime as long as you give them 8 weeks notice

 

[Kittee]

Move to the US. You have 1 choice.

12 weeks UN-PAID.

LOL

The maternity care here is a joke.

 

[Kittee]

Move to the US. You have 1 choice.

12 weeks UN-PAID.

LOL

The maternity care here is a joke.

 

[fsugirl]

I figured you had to be from the UK or Europe because of the 6 - 9 month window. What a burden that decision must be. The normal maternity leave in the US is 6 weeks for a vaginal birth and you can use your entire annual vacation of 2 weeks to make it a grand total of 8 weeks with no vacation for the rest of the year other than paid national holidays. Some companies don't have a paid maternity leave so you only get the 6 weeks but it's unpaid. My company allows 12 weeks of paid maternity and then we can add our 4.5 weeks of paid vacation for a grand total of 4 months. This length of paid time off is completely unheard of in the US so I am really fortunate. Consider yourself very lucky to have the decision of whether to take 6 or 9 mos.

 

[ClaireMuir123]

I figured you had to be from the UK or Europe because of the 6 - 9 month window. What a burden that decision must be. The normal maternity leave in the US is 6 weeks for a vaginal birth and you can use your entire annual vacation of 2 weeks to make it a grand total of 8 weeks with no vacation for the rest of the year other than paid national holidays. Some companies don't have a paid maternity leave so you only get the 6 weeks but it's unpaid. My company allows 12 weeks of paid maternity and then we can add our 4.5 weeks of paid vacation for a grand total of 4 months. This length of paid time off is completely unheard of in the US so I am really fortunate. Consider yourself very lucky to have the decision of whether to take 6 or 9 mos.

Thats a bit harsh dont you think?! She wasn't moaning about the fact that she might 'only have' 6-9 months off, she was asking what other people may do. It's no europes or the UK's fault for the US have a crap maternity leave policy! x

 

[sleonie]

After hearing what you guys get in America, I am extremely grateful I live in the UK. I am self employed, and so only entitled to Maternity Allowance, which is approx £500 per month but at least that is for 39 weeks. Whether we can afford to live on that with my hubby's income for 39 weeks is still yet to be seen though!

 

[fsugirl]

I figured you had to be from the UK or Europe because of the 6 - 9 month window. What a burden that decision must be. The normal maternity leave in the US is 6 weeks for a vaginal birth and you can use your entire annual vacation of 2 weeks to make it a grand total of 8 weeks with no vacation for the rest of the year other than paid national holidays. Some companies don't have a paid maternity leave so you only get the 6 weeks but it's unpaid. My company allows 12 weeks of paid maternity and then we can add our 4.5 weeks of paid vacation for a grand total of 4 months. This length of paid time off is completely unheard of in the US so I am really fortunate. Consider yourself very lucky to have the decision of whether to take 6 or 9 mos.

Thats a bit harsh dont you think?! She wasn't moaning about the fact that she might 'only have' 6-9 months off, she was asking what other people may do. It's no europes or the UK's fault for the US have a crap maternity leave policy! x

Oooohhh I didn't mean it to be harsh at all. It's hard to communicate tone when writting. I was just mearly stating to count your blessings if you can take that kind of time off. I agree 100% that it's the US's fault for not having a better maternity leave. It's definitely not anyone else's fault that the policies are the way they are. We are just expected to be a bunch of work-a-holics over here. I do apologize if anyone else took it harsh....it was meant to be more of a sarcastic tone.

 

[misspink]

OP take as long as you can afford as another poster said you'll never have this time again!

 

[ClaireMuir123]

Fsugirl, thats OK It's very hard to get the message across properly lol. I think most people do appreciate the time we get off, I know I do! xxx

 

[Mummy~L]

I would perosnally go for the 9 months if its financially affordable for you!! Take as much time as possible as they grow so quickly! Just my opinion xx