PA FORUM
PA Panel
Cora@ExecutivePA.com
“I have a two year old daughter and when I was pregnant and informed my former boss, things changed completely. I was victimised. I would be made to go to different depart- ments to deliver letters, get lunch – anything that kept me moving and out and about all the time and so I never man- aged to catch-up with my desk work. When I returned to work, things had completely changed. My former company had employed a temporary member of staff who felt she could do anything. She was then given an opportunity that I had always wanted and which I had requested prior to my maternity leave – grant application process. “It all just turned nasty to a point where I had to
resign and find another job. I was always made to feel incapable of doing tasks, and my confidence just shrank. Unsurprisingly my immediate line manager and the sen- iors were all women with no children. I have concluded that when it comes to women you either choose your career or your family, and when you choose your career you tend to lose your compassion even for those who want to balance both career and family.”
Anon, PA
Mother of all debates
The decision to have a family should have no impact on your career, however all too often the issue of maternity leave can leave a nasty taste in your mouth
Whether you choose to follow the
lead of the French justice minister Rachida Dati, who returned to work within hours of giving birth to her daughter, or you opt for a more leisurely pace of maternity leave like Natasha Kaplinsky who accepted a £300,000 pay cut so she could spend more time with her son, the issue of maternity leave is certainly a thorny one. Nurseries across the country are
42 » www.executivepa.com » Apr/May 2010
reporting an increase in the number of parents seeking places for babies who are just a few weeks old, highlighting that more mothers are returning to the workplace as soon as they’re able. So, what’s your view on maternity leave – could it harm your chances of receiving a promotion, do you feel out of the loop for too long, or have you been able to return to work and achieve a happy work-life balance? E
“There can be pros and cons to taking so much time off for maternity leave and I do understand how some can feel that they have been overlooked for promotion for taking these breaks. I personally agree with the concept of more paid time off for maternity leave, anything that will aid the stability of a home life has got to be worth investing in. I am lucky to have employment with a company who are very supportive and I guess not everyone is as fortunate. “I have taken two maternity breaks in my career and while it took me a little longer to settle back in after my second child I feel that these breaks have actually renewed my enthusiasm and helped me re-focus. Upon returning to the workplace after such a long break it can enable you to take an almost objective view of how things are done, how things have changed and maybe how you can make things better. This could, in turn, provide you with an opportuni- ty to implement improvements; which could of course lead to you being noticed and perhaps a promotion!”
Wendy Spedding, Operations Administrator, Summit Medical Limited
PATERNITY LEAVE – KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Working fathers are currently entitled to two weeks’ paid leave following the birth of their child. This is paid at the same rate as Statutory Maternity Pay. The UK govern- ment had planned to give additional paternity leave of up to six months if the mother returned to work, but due to the state of the economy plans have been put on hold. Under the Work and Families Act 2006 fathers
could have taken up to 26 weeks paternity leave, some of which would be paid, if transferred from the mother’s maternity allowance (which would be increased to a year) when she returns to work. This new provision would be allocated during the second six months of the child’s first year. As with the two-week paternity leave this entitlement is also in place for those who are adopt- ing and partners of mothers.
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