Baby (tick). Career (tick). How to have both

ARTICLE FROM COSMO PREGNANCY MAGAZINE

Get smart about your maternity leave rights, childcare options and balancing work and a family with these tips from author Allison Tait

When you’re pregnant and focused entirely on your changing body and the mind-blowing experience that is feeling a baby grow inside you, it’s often hard to imagine life “on the other side”. We know to expect sleepless nights and nappies, and that things will change. But how will work fit in? Even if you’re taking your full quota of maternity leave, chances are you’ll need or want to go back at some point. How will that work for you?

Juggling the demands of children and work can be a rollercoaster for new working mums. But if you start planning and preparing for it as early as possible (even while you’re pregnant), you can create a much smoother ride for you and your family.

Know Your Rights
In January 2010, the Australian Federal Government introduced the right for parents with children under school age to request a flexible work arrangement. If you put in writing a request for a change to your working hours, patterns of work or location, your employer has 21 days to respond – and if they refuse, they must outline “reasonable business grounds” for the refusal. Examples of these could include the financial impact on the employer’s business, or the inability to organise work among existing staff or to recruit a part-time replacement employee. (You’ll find full details, as well as steps you can take if you get a refusal, at fairwork.gov.au).

This sounds great in theory, but can be more difficult in practice. How do you ask? What do you ask for? (Remember that flexible working arrangements cover anything from reduced hours to working from home or changing your start and finish times). And what can you say to give yourself the best possible chance of your employer granting your request?

Emma Walsh, founder of mums@work (www.mumsatwork.com.au), believes it’s all in the planning and preparation. “They key to success is to put the work in upfront,” she says. “You need to propose a solution to how your flexible working arrangement will work, and not expect your employer to work it out for you.”

This means reviewing your job, working out your core responsibilities and thinking about how you can meet the requirements of the job while maintaining your own interest in it. Consider available technology so you can work remotely, or job sharing with someone else. “Think outside the square about how you could do it differently,” says Walsh. Once you’ve done that, put a business plan together. Show your employer exactly what you are proposing, with clear bottom-line reasons about why it won’t be a bad thing for him or her.

“Have different scenarios and information in front of you when you speak to your boss or manager,” says Penny Webb, founder of Working Mums Masterclass (www.workingmumsmasterclass.com.au). “Be upfront about your own value to the company.” Communicate that you have a legitimate right to work flexibly, outline how your role will function with your proposed flexible work arrangement, and be proactive in showing how it will work. It’s important to reinforce your skills and attributes, as well as any key goals you’ve achieved.

It’s also a great idea to offer a three-month trial period to state how you intend to measure the success of your new working arrangement.

If you work for a small business, it’s important to plan ahead and speak to your manager or employer as soon as possible – allow yourself and your workplace the chance to get used to your pregnancy and then, about two months before you go on parental leave, start the conversation with your manager. Plan for different scenarios and be prepared to think laterally.

The best-laid plans
Walsh recommends preparing a trial period for flexible working arrangements. “Don’t try to set up something that’s carved in stone,” she says. “The reality is that things will change – children grow up, your needs fluctuate and childcare arrangements change accordingly.”

Lisa, 45, understands that when it comes to being a parent and having a career, things change. Working in middle management for a large bank, with her career on the fast track, she unexpectedly fell pregnant with her first child, Will, now 11. “I told work I’d be back in three months,” she says. “I was climbing the ladder and didn’t want the baby to get in the way of my career... Then I had the baby, and I couldn’t leave him.”

She extended her maternity leave to 12 months, after initially trying to do some work from home. “Even after that, it wasn’t working,” she says. “So I resigned.” After the birth of her second baby, Rafe, now 8, three years later, Lisa got back in touch with her manager. “I approached them about returning to work,” she says. “They had a position vacant and I went back. I think the key was the good relationship I had with them. It was about asking, being capable, knowing my worth and maintaining contacts and networks.”

While it’s tempting to treat your maternity leave as a total break from work, the key to eventually transitioning back into the workforce, be it after 12 months maternity leave or longer, is staying in touch. Keep yourself on email lists so you are constantly updated on what’s going on, visit the office – or at least have coffee with colleagues on a semi-regular basis – keep up to date with your contacts, attend industry nights or work drinks occasionally. “I always kept my connections while I was on maternity leave,” says Lisa. “Not always through management, but with colleagues.”

If, like Lisa, you find yourself on maternity leave feeling completely different about returning to work – either full-time, or part-time – make sure you let your employer know as soon as possible (and no later than four weeks before your intended return date).

“Don’t mull it over forever,” says Webb. “Be upfront and honest. It gives you, and them, more time to come up with a solution.”

If, after you’ve had your baby, you change your mind about returning to work full-time and wish to request some flexibility with your position, remember that preparation is vital during those maternity leave months. And if your employer indicates that your role is full-time only, it’s better to know sooner rather than later so you can consider all of your options. These include speaking to your HR department, if your company has one, along with utilising all of your networks to find a role that does suit you and your baby.

Remember, though, that the best flexible jobs are created, not advertised. Start thinking ahead about how to fashion your ideal job out of the role you now have.

Your maternity-leave entitlements
The Paid Parental Leave scheme introduced by the Australian Government provides up to 18 weeks pay at the national minimum wage ($589.40 a week before tax), for working parents of children born or adopted after January 1, 2011. It can be received before, after, or at the same time as existing entitlements such as annual leave, long-service leave or employer-funded paid parental leave.

Contact your HR Department or manager for details of your organisation’s parental leave entitlements.

You must give written notice to your employer at least 10 weeks before you intend to start parental leave and tell them the start and end dates. Employers have the right to request evidence, such as a medical certificate or statutory declaration, of the expected date of birth or date of adoption.

All employees are eligible for unpaid parental leave if they have completed at least 12 months continuous service. Upon returning to work, an employee is entitled to her pre-parental leave position or an equivalent available position. If your company offers its own paid parental leave, check whether there is a contracted period of time for which you must stay with the company on your return.

If you intend to have another child, the same rules apply with Government parental leave, but check with your HR Department regarding when you will be eligible again for employer-funded parental leave. For more information, visit fairwork.gov.au.

Thinking Ahead
Kim, 35, was working for a small, family-run real-estate agency when she became pregnant with her second child, Charlie, now two. “I was a casual, even though I worked full-time, and so had no company-funded maternity leave owing,” she says.

“When I found out I was pregnant, I began to shift my role away from holiday property management towards something I could do from home. They were building a new website, so I took on the project management of that. My background was in marketing, so it was a natural progression for me.”

By shifting her role, Kim set herself up to be able to continue to work from home once her son was born. “Within a week of having Charlie, I was working a few hours a week from home, and then built it up from there,” she says.

When she initially broached the subject with her employer, they were hesitant. “It wasn’t something they’d ever done before,” she says. “But I showed them how it could work and they were happy with what I’d done to that point, so they thought about it and agreed. If I hadn’t brought it up with them, it would never have happened.”

COSMOPOLITAN PREGNANCY MAGAZINE - AUTUMN 2012