tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post3586091330547026699..comments2024-02-05T05:15:04.759-08:00Comments on Wandering Scientist: Ask Cloud: Breaking the Pregnancy NewsCloudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-56485672314172819882013-10-22T20:23:55.117-07:002013-10-22T20:23:55.117-07:00I'm the industry postdoc who wrote to Cloud. T...I'm the industry postdoc who wrote to Cloud. Thank you Cloud and everyone for your comments and kind words! I told my boss recently and she was very positive and supportive, and also said she would find out about benefits from HR--which I'm grateful for because I hate doing that sort of thing. As Cloud suggested, we didn't really talk about what kind of leave I would take, because that's still far off in the future.<br />Industry Postdocnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-29641445868034711062013-10-18T22:38:55.484-07:002013-10-18T22:38:55.484-07:00Sorry to hear that the work stuff is continuing :(...Sorry to hear that the work stuff is continuing :( I also need to finish that series, though it's kind of weird for me to do "after maternity leave" since I didn't go back *this* time.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15212690454989568626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-58031633992364798752013-10-18T13:56:28.973-07:002013-10-18T13:56:28.973-07:00Congratulations! I'm not sure if your post-doc...Congratulations! I'm not sure if your post-doc is any different than the ones we offer at a U but it might be worthwhile to talk with HR first and think a bit about your plans. Our university offers no maternity leave for anyone outside of the FMLA requirements. I had a post-doc announce her pregnancy about 4 months into her position when she had earned no sick leave or vacation time so would have the opportunity to take 12 weeks completely unpaid. As most post-docs here are paid off grants, anything else is directly up to the PI. This has serious repercussions for both you and your advisor. Even if she wants to be humane, it's difficult for her not have any product to show while you're out on leave, a problem that may be even more acute if she attempts to pay some of your leave. On both sides, the grant likely has a very real end date which you leave her in the lurch with a funding agency and you without a job to return to. That said, if you're funded by NSF, they have some new initiatives to take the burn out of this. My only advice (from the other side) is to have a clear understanding of what the institution can provide, what limitations she may be facing for the funding of your position, and a real plan for what you want and are willing to do before you talk about the details with her. That said, you should also consider being flexible - this will likely be a negotiation/collaboration to find the best solution for everyone. Good luck!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-75609213757711622082013-10-18T06:15:39.327-07:002013-10-18T06:15:39.327-07:00Congrats!
I only decided to tell my PI when I was...Congrats! <br />I only decided to tell my PI when I was 20 weeks along, but that was mostly because I knew he didn't care, and I could take as much time off as I wanted. I ended up taking 12 weeks and then went back full time. As a graduate student I was able to arrange my hours so that I could still work partially from home. The first few months back were pretty rough and sometimes I wish I had taken a little more time off. Carolina (@braziliancakes)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-77391129039457037382013-10-17T21:38:37.972-07:002013-10-17T21:38:37.972-07:00Link drop here anytime! I can't believe I forg...Link drop here anytime! I can't believe I forgot about those posts of yours. They are very good. I blame the work stuff going on... which I may have figured out how to blog about, at least partially. Stay tuned. :)Cloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-18001845725949669422013-10-17T21:37:51.554-07:002013-10-17T21:37:51.554-07:00My husband and I both took FMLA both times. It is ...My husband and I both took FMLA both times. It is partially paid, not unpaid- or at least it is up to the point we used. But we had to submit a bunch of forms to get our partial reimbursement, which comes from the state, because it is run as an insurance-type thing.Cloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-17665334694603710122013-10-17T21:36:38.405-07:002013-10-17T21:36:38.405-07:00The only quote I love more than the Eisenhower one...The only quote I love more than the Eisenhower one is the Voltaire one about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good...Cloudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09317847285050447789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-21070342298504676622013-10-17T19:26:37.965-07:002013-10-17T19:26:37.965-07:00Congratulations! I've heard talk of timing an...Congratulations! I've heard talk of timing announcements to delay until after performance reviews/promotion opportunities (if possible), but not sure if postdocs in industry have to worry about that sort of thing.<br /><br />I wrote up a checklist on my blog for what to do before mat leave (corporate job - this may not be applicable to postdocs), so if Cloud doesn't mind a link drop, here's the first (early) one:<br /><br />http://houseofpeanut.blogspot.com/2012/08/parental-leave-checklist-part-i-2-3.html<br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15212690454989568626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-54460676318168274132013-10-17T13:53:12.615-07:002013-10-17T13:53:12.615-07:00Awesome news!
Love that Eisenhower quote. Oddly, ...Awesome news!<br /><br />Love that Eisenhower quote. Oddly, I had just heard it for the first time this morning when I was listening to G. Rubin's "Happier At Home" on tape in the car - a few hours before reading this post. Cool.<br /><br />So, in general my advice is to wait to start telling folks until you've seen a fetal heartbeat (8+ weeks or so?)<br /><br />With my first baby, taking 3-5 months off and then coming back to work part time, before easing back into full-time work was my ideal, too. That sounds perfect.<br /><br />At work, I told HR first to get a sense of what benefits I could expect, then I told my manager. He was ecstatic, and that was a pleasant surprise.<br /><br />I came back part time at 4 months, but never did manage to get any work done at home with no childcare. I had a very alert, low sleep needs baby who did not sleep as much as the sleep books all say a newborn "ought" to need to sleep. YMMV though.hushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05532820460835325762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29235839.post-30944118241990999352013-10-17T06:15:05.077-07:002013-10-17T06:15:05.077-07:00Congratulations! My recommendation is that you lea...Congratulations! My recommendation is that you learn as much as you can about maternity leave laws in your state, and understand how much of your leave will be paid, and figure out how much you can afford to take unpaid.<br /><br />I live in California, where available leave is--for the U.S.--pretty generous. But the vast majority of that time is unpaid. I took most of it anyhow, but that was easier to do because my husband and I were making informed choices about our finances in the process.Tragic Sandwichhttp://www.tragicsandwich.comnoreply@blogger.com