Baby and work

Watching This Morning

Basically one is saying that as an employer she doesn't think its fair that women have kids and take off work and get paid for it etc and if they want kids they should work full time not take off for maternity or just go away all together

Other one is saying it is a womans right to have children.

Views?

Should a woman have to give up her job if she wants to have children, esp in the recession? Or do woman have a right to have kids and have their job at the end of it too?

Having had kids while I was working I'd say it's a woman's right to have some time off & still have a job to go back to. I had 6 months maternity leave with both mine, although I only got full pay for the first 2 months (I think!) and then a very low Statutory Maternity Pay for the rest. But at least I knew that I still had a job to go back to if I wanted, in the same position (Manager's Assistant at NatWest Bank) at a good rate of pay.

I didn't go back after my daughter was born, though, cause money was ok & I didn't want to miss all the milestones!

Maternity leave is a necessary occurance and should be allowed. New mothers need the time to physically heal as well as bond with the child and should be afforded the opportunity to do so.

The policy of the company should be clear at the time of accepting the job with both parties of the same understanding. The company should have the right to dicate the amount of time off they are willing to allow dependant upon the position and should not be faulted if they need an employee that won't take the time off.

How about an after maternity period? Im not sure if there is anything set in place saying a woman has to work say 6 months after they come back before they can leave that job..

I just ask because i know of someone who took maternity leave then went back to work with drastically reduced hours (from 40 to 16) and worked for about month then quit the job. I don't think that was fair on the employer!

It's a touchy subject. Women should be afforded the opportunity to have children but a company wants to make money. If the policy of the company is made clear before the woman starts to work it would be her decision whether or not to accept the job

with both mine, i worked for a very small company and basically took a months holiday off, but i had a computor at home and someone would drop work off to me every other day.

Working for a small company is different to working for a large company

I had to go back to work cause of the money, if I would have had a choice I would not have gone back.

Equi wrote:How about an after maternity period? Im not sure if there is anything set in place saying a woman has to work say 6 months after they come back before they can leave that job..

I just ask because i know of someone who took maternity leave then went back to work with drastically reduced hours (from 40 to 16) and worked for about month then quit the job. I don't think that was fair on the employer!

Probably depends on the contract, but I don't think that's legal & could be construed as constructive dismissal.