Dear Evil HR Lady,
I’m seven months pregnant now (due Dec. 5), and I plan on quitting and staying at home for at least a year while I finish up grad school part-time. I have two female supervisors that I get along very well with, although they can be quite ruthless about work. I originally planned on telling them this month that I won’t be coming back after I have the baby, but many friends disagree with my plan. My husband is a consultant, so I don’t have the option of getting on his insurance. We plan on using COBRA then going private (which I know is expensive, but he is technically compensated for private insurance — we’ve just been on mine for the past three years).
I really don’t want to jeopardize my relationship with my main boss since she’ll be so critical in helping me do policy consulting in the future once I have my masters. I’m torn about what to do, and every time I’ve made my mind up, I end up changing it again. I want to do the ethically right thing and maintain a good relationship with my bosses, but I also don’t want to unnecessarily pay an outrageous amount for the delivery.
We’ve called a few insurance companies and we’ll probably do COBRA to cover birth and delivery (unless the baby arrives while I’m still covered by my current insurance), then we’ll have to get a private insurance. If I work at my current job until near my delivery date, can delivery still be covered by insurance since I’ve technically paid for it at that point? Should I just tell them that I plan on coming back and then let them know during my (unpaid) maternity leave that I’m not coming back?
To read the answer, click here? Maternity leave: How much should you tell the boss?
Let’s be honest though, a lot of bosses wouldn’t have the warm and fuzzies if it even looks like she only stayed on until after she had her baby.
Please don’t tell your company. The economy is so crazy now that as moral as you may try to be with your company, they may not be this way with you. You have to think of your family first.
If you work for a larger employer and are eligible for FMLA or a similar state legislated leave, keep in mind that when an employee has no intention of returning from medical/maternity leave, the employer has NO duty to offer FMLA leave, which means no continuation of benefits (other than COBRA). So, unless your employer continues active benefits through the end of the month of termination (some terminate benefits the date your employment ends) you will have to elect COBRA or buy coverage on the ACA Marketplace (effective January 1, 2014) to cover your delivery.
What if, between now and your expected delivery date, your family’s financial circumstances change? Your husband gets cancer or is hit by a truck and can’t work anymore? There are so many things that could happen to change your plans that your best bet is to keep your options open until you are absolutely sure you are not going back to work. I suggest that date should be the date your approved maternity leave (which you should request) is scheduled to end and certainly not two months before it even starts.