Return-to-Work Plans Messed Up by Maternity Leave Mix-Up
A new mom, whom I’ll call Charise, told me of her return-to-work dilemma. Let it serve as a caution to you as you develop your plans.
Charise is in her 12th week of maternity leave who was recently alerted by her employer that she is expected back to work next week.
In her original pre-leave paperwork, Charise indicated she would take a minimum of 12 weeks off from her job as a hospital pharmacist, but she kept it open for up to 20 weeks.
After she signed the papers, and without her knowledge, the HR department filled in a firm return-to-work date.
This is a messy mix-up because Charise hasn’t yet lined up child care and she feels unprepared in other ways to return to full-time work now.
Of course, she requested a little more time for the transition, but her employer claims Charise isn’t following procedures because she didn’t file a “leave extension request” in time.
Where she lives and works, Charise has a maximum of 12 weeks of job-protected leave under FMLA. With the heat coming from her employer at week 12, she feels pressured under a perceived threat of job loss to return to work now.
Don’t make the mistakes of this mom. Here are a few tips to avoid a similar situation:
- Double-check your maternity leave paperwork before its final submission. If you’re unsure about your exact return-to-work date, determine with your employer how that is best indicated. Don’t leave crucial areas blank on a signed document.
- At least two weeks before your planned return date, call your manager to discuss and confirm your return-to-work plans. This is not an initial discussion; it should stem from the original plan you presented before you left on maternity leave.
- As most new moms will tell you, it’s smart to start your child care search during pregnancy and firm up arrangements soon after you give birth. Develop back-up plans.
Mix-Up Prevention Tool
Ideally, and barring any unforeseen circumstances or health issues, I recommend you present a well-developed maternity leave plan along with your return-to-work arrangement.
If you haven’t already, you can find the framework for these plans in your copy of Max Maternity Leave Proposal Template & Negotiation Guide.
As for Charise, under these less-than-ideal circumstances, she will reluctantly return to work full-time, with plans to present her proposal for a job sharing arrangement within a month.
