starting to feel guilty about work

[distantsun]

I'm starting to feel a wee bit guilty about telling my work I'm pregnant. I'm not planning to do so until after 12 weeks as my job doesn't really have any manual elements.

They are a small childrens' charity and with the current climate the budgets are really tight due to some funding being withdrawn. I haven't been there very long and the last two people to have my job didn't come back after maternity. Everyone is lovely and I'm sure they will be thrilled when i tell them.

I'm just starting to feel really bad for them as if they need to get temp cover when I'm on maternity it will mean the budget will be stretched even further.

Am i just being over emotional about this whole thing?

 

[aimee-lou]

Don't feel guilty.

Maternity pay for employers actually included a 4% compensation. I too work for a charity as a fund raiser and I'm actually phrasing mine as a fund-raising activity!!

www.direct.gov.uk has all the info about it, but they shouldn't have to pay a thing out towards you, and at the moment, people are crying out for work, even 6 month maternity cover should be easy enough to fill wihtout having to resort to temp agencies and their fees.

Hope this has eased the worry a little.

 

[distantsun]

Thanks Aimee Lou I had a look at the website and it cleared it up great for me. I was just assuming that they had to pay out all of the SMP out of their own pocket.

Ironically one of the project managers came in all flustered as she's trying to find preganant women to join a pilot study and said- "couldn't you get pregnant and then i could at least have one on my list"

 

[caz81]

im sure they will all feel really happy for you when you tell them, there are 3 people already off work on maternity leave where i work at the moment but im sure they will be positive for me too xxx

 

[aimee-lou]

I think once a place of work has had dealings with SMP and Maternity rights in general they become easier to deal with. My office is not experienced in teh slightest, I'm the first person in 25 years of business to have to go on Maternity!!!!! I've been boning up so when I go for my meeting with my manager I can lay it all out for him so he doesn't panic when I mention pay etc!

 

[lalitas charm]

I am absolutely TERRIFIED about telling my work. The last pregnant woman there had 2 babies in under a year and then went sick for 5 months before handing her notice in last week. I took over from her just over 2 years ago when she went on Maternity and I am worried that they will think that I will do what she did. There are also 3 other preg women (that I know of) where I work at the moment and when the last one announced she was preg in the middle of feb when she was 4 weeks my managers basically told me that I had better not think about it............. Hmmmmmm

I'm a little unclear about what our Maternity allowance is at the moment. I heard rumours that the 90% portion of your maternity pay was going to be extended from 6 weeks to 9 weeks but I am unsure if this is my company's policy or Govt though I can't see my company being that generous since we got no pay rises this year even though met all our targets for the year.

But....... you are obviously loyal to your workplace, I wouldn't feel guilty unless you were planning to milk it like the girl where I work did but she is an unusual case. Your employers should have a back up in the event of people getting pregnant and as some of the girls said they dont shell out all that money themselves and you've been paying your National Insurance. Where in NI do you live? I float between Lisburn and Antrim (long story).

 

[LoveTypeThing]

I was really nervous too. I was not planning to tell anyone until 12 weeks, but I told my boss this week, as I have already started showing a little bit (I was super tiny before pregnancy) and he was really supportive and happy for me, and that eased my guilt.

 

[distantsun]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

lalitas- I'm in L/Derry moved back from Belfast last year.

 

[Kirstin]

The place I work for is on the verge of bankruptcy, plus its seasonal so I'll be working all summer then leaving in October as usual but getting paid for work I wouldn't actually be doing:s I bet they try and get out of it somehow :S

 

[charlottesma]

I'm confused as I'm on a temporary contract which will expire while I'm on leave, what happens when it finishes do I get my mat1 back and have to apply for MA or do they pay SMP once started till the end regardless?

 

[aimee-lou]

I'm confused as I'm on a temporary contract which will expire while I'm on leave, what happens when it finishes do I get my mat1 back and have to apply for MA or do they pay SMP once started till the end regardless?

I'm the same and I have been reading up on this.

You get the same SMP as if you were not on a fixed term contract. So we still get the 39 weeks pay. Where I'm unclear is what we do about leave. Technically because we're on SMP, we should still get all the leave we're entitled to, but because of the contract finishing in October, i'm not sure if actually, i'm only entitled up to october. no-one seems to know the answer either, even the CAB haven't been able to answer me! I'm sure it'll get sorted out eventually though, but don't worry about pay, we get the same as everyone else.

 

[MsEmski]

You will only be entitiled to leave up until your leave date, which is October.

 

[Seraphim]

I was scared. But it went really well.
I told them early so I would be covered legally. It's a liiiiittle bit of a boys club there. Never had to deal with this before... so I did not want to let the cat out by being sick or fainting or anything.

I *hope* they genuinely are appreciative of the huge notice period, and all the things I have suggested to manage my leave - I will be working super hard to pull it all together.

Aimee I'd love to know more about this 4% you mentioned - as I'm currently rolling numbers around... we're in negotiation about managing the leave etc, and knowing this would help... I haven't heard of it until now.

 

[aimee-lou]

If you go onto direct.gov.uk and look in the employers section rather than the employees section it's all outlined in there. I think it's an SME thing so if you work for a big company then they probably wont get it.......I first heard about it as some silly woman was on about how expensive it is for companies to employ women in general. The presenter on the radio programme just spouted all the rules and regs to shut her up....I think it was Women's hour on R4.

I'm glad it went ok for you seraphim....I know what you mean about the boys club. The only women who work here are all retired or nearing it or highly unlikely to have children anytime soon! They are therefore not being the most supportive of me 'ruining' my career. I beg to differ....especially given my job offer today!!!!!!

 

[Seraphim]

Wooooooot!

I got a very casual/relaxed offer this week too - which was rather unexpected. From a larger firm, would have a Mat Package already which I wouldnt have to fight for. But I don't feel finished with where I am. Even handing over for mat leave will be sad in a way. But hey, depending on what the owner/boss comes back with... might have a huge affect of how sad i feel about it ;D

Thanks I will go look in the employers section. Only ~50 employees in our company.

 

[lalitas charm]

Hey Distant sun, I would say that we have a couple of comon contacts as a girl who is doing the same course as me works in a childresns Charity and frequently goes up to L/Derry for meetings (and hates the drive up there from Belfast!! LOL!!)

I told one of my managers today as he will be in Singapore next week and I didn't think that it was right that he wouldn't be one of the first to know and he was really good about it. Said that personnally he was delighted for me and that he didn't know how he was going to cope without me when I go on Maternity Leave. Is talking about getting a temp in 2 months before I go to be trained up etc. Also said that he really hopes that I dont leave afterwards and that if I have any difficulties with coming back that they will help me over come them as they really dont want to lose me if there is anything that they can do to accomodate me. He was great in other words!! now all I have to do is tell my other managers and directors and see what they say. I know all the other plebs (like me) will be delighted about it. Just a big shock for me as they all think that I'll never have kids!! LOL!!

Good luck with your work. I'm sure that they will be great as well.

P.S. I heard that about the temp workers as well as I was reassuring a girl who is temping with us as well. It is the responsibility of her agency if she does fall preg (she isnt as yet but trying) if she does. Its the same as temp's accruing holiday entitlements etc.

 

[Seraphim]

Ooo Lalita's Charm, another good tip in your PS, thank you!

Aimee, you don't know what you've started!
I've just run figures on cost of me vs my stand in... with and without compensation etc... probably saved the MD a bunch of headaches him trying to find all this out Good arguement for them to cut a new deal, so I will be awaiting their thoughts ;D

 

[aimee-lou]

You will only be entitiled to leave up until your leave date, which is October.

MsEmski - can I ask where you get that from as I need to prove that I'm entitled to something at least. 1.5 weeks is better than nothing! Thanks