Pregnancy and new job

Super Mom

Sun, Jul 10 2011, 5:03 am

Hi everyone. I'm starting a new job in Israel. DH and I are planning a pregnancy this year but I know that the school finds it impossible to find replacement teachers (it's a really rough high school in a poor neighbourhood) and I already felt the principal was nervous hiring a young religious married woman. He asked me how many kids I have (2) and how old they were (1 and 2) and he just sighed. I figure we can try and get pregnant in October so I'm most likely to give birth after school finishes. Is that a good solution? What if I get pregnant after that or have complications? It will be impossible to get a job next year if I'm pregnant! (This is my student teaching year - they've only employed me for the year).
Advice about being a teacher and keeping down a job while having kids?
Plus I have no family here that can help. How long is maternity leave in Israel and should I ignore it and start school on the 1st of September and hire a nanny?

five2ten

Sun, Jul 10 2011, 12:10 pm

I don't think there's anything wrong with TRYING to plan your pregnancy to give birth at the end of the school year or beginning of the summer.

Unlike in Israel--where you do get a lot of paid maternity leave--here in NY, I get nothing. So I timed mine to give birth right before Pesach, when I would be off anyway (I koshered my kitchen for chol hamoed but went to mom for yom tov).

merelyme

Thu, Jul 14 2011, 8:04 am

It's illegal for an interviewer to ask you how many kids you have or their ages. And to sigh.

You didn't sign a contract promising not to get pregnant while you work for him.

Maternity leave is 14 weeks paid by bituach leumi (National Insurance) and you can take off for 6 months with no one batting an eyelash. I think you can take off up to a year.

shabbatiscoming

Thu, Jul 14 2011, 8:14 am

merelyme wrote:

This really depends on how long you were working before you went on maternity leave.

And it may be illegal for them to ask about how many kids you have and the like, but they do it anyway here.

amother ↓

Thu, Jul 14 2011, 10:23 am

oh my goodness!!!! thats ALMOST my story.
I had a job interview at a school in may. I shall sign the contract at the end of july. I became pregnant bin the meantime. I DONT KNOW IF I HAVE TO TELL THE PRINIPAL when signing.
im really happy about the pregnancy, it is our first. but I feel terribly guilty cos the headmaster will have to look for replacemnet in the middle of the school year. which for this particular school is Very very hard.
I dunno what to do. shall I tell before signing (as soon as possible, so that the school can ölook for someone else) ? im afraid to cause chilul H'.
I so understand your situation.
what are your opinions? I already asked a shaila but didnt get an answer yet from ym rav.

↑ amother ↓

Sun, Jan 08 2012, 9:10 pm

Bumping this one for more advice!

I'm a different amother with a somewhat similar situation.

I'm applying for a teaching job for next year and just found out we are iy"H expecting. It's obviously too soon to tell anyone, but I'd be showing up on day 1 with quite a substantial belly and going on maternity leave barely more than a month in!

Any advice on how to handle this? Tell (before signing, assuming that's a few months down the road) and hope for the best, or say nothing and hope for the best?

↑ amother

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 1:05 am

im the op:
hi amother, I was in exactly YOUR situation, I signed the contract in june (I was meant to start working in september) and 2 weeks later I became pregnant. I started showing quite late, but after a month in the new school or so ppl guessed im pregnant. I didnt speak to anyone about the pregnancy except dh, gyn and the headmaster of the school (to be fair - afterall he had to lok for replacement.) I have another few weeks to teach my class, write my thesis and go to college. it IS possible, but im reaching the end of my koyach to be honest.
hazlacha with your projects and be shaa tova!!!

invisiblecircus ↓

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 6:13 am

Will you get maternity leave if you're there for barely a month? Also, what kind of notice do you have to give for going off on maternity? This will depend what country you're in.

I had to sign for the new school year in September when I was three months pregnant. I had a similar dilemma, whether to tell them before signing and risk them finding a reason not to need me or signing then telling I would be going off before Pesach.

In the end I told them before signing and they still took me but as it happened I was very sick the first week back and was signed off for a further week, then they ended up replacing me saying that even if I went back they were worried I would need to be off again.

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 10:00 am

You never have to say to ANYONE that you are pregnant. DEfinitely not before signing. It is none of their business if you "might" become sick, if you "might" have a difficult pregnancy, if you ...etc.

You only have to tell them when you are leaving, so giving notice a few weeks to a month in advance is usually plenty of time to find someone. If they can't find someone in a month, they probably wouldn't find someone in Three either!

Your body, your (and Hashem's) choices, your life. Don't feel guilty for any part of that.

↑ invisiblecircus

Mon, Jan 09 2012, 12:03 pm

yb wrote:

You only have to tell them when you are leaving, so giving notice a few weeks to a month in advance is usually plenty of time to find someone. If they can't find someone in a month, they probably wouldn't find someone in Three either!

In some countries, you must inform your employer of your intention to take maternity leave by a certain point in the pregnancy to be eligible for maternity leave /pay and other benefits so you need to check how it works in your country.