Advice re: long maternity leave and going to per diem after baby?

Sour Lemon · Mar 2, 2017

There are many variables, but I'll tell you how things went for me.

I'm in California and went on short term disability (SDI) about six months into my pregnancy (MD ordered). I was also off for 2-3 months (can't remember which) after my c-section (SDI) and took an additional 12 weeks off for baby bonding. I received $1000 a week tax free while on SDI. Six weeks of the baby bonding was also paid at $1000 a week, but taxable ...and the other six weeks of baby bonding leave were unpaid. My employer paid me only enough PTO hours to cover my insurance, per my request.

I could have gone back to my job full time or per diem, but opted for a per diem position closer to home. I've spoken to full time employees at my current employer who have been denied the opportunity to come back per diem after their maternity leave, so it shouldn't be taken for granted that you'll be able to do that. They were offered their full time positions back, however.

Six months is a long time to request for leave without medical cause and may not be realistic. Most people I've worked with have gotten 2-3 months max- and that's a total for before and after the birth.

I'll be having my second baby soon, and since I am only per diem, I will get no SDI payments or guarantee of having a job when I'm ready to return.

Wuzzie · Mar 2, 2017

If you are in the US I find it unlikely that they are going to grant you a 6 month leave but you never know. As far as letting them know do your co-workers a favor. Don't wait until you're due back to tell them that you aren't actually coming back and leave them hanging while they post your position, interview, hire and orient. We had someone do that to us. It was really bad and she had the gall to wonder why we weren't excited to see her when she came to visit us a few months later.

NicuGal, MSN, RN · Mar 3, 2017

Most likely you will not get 6 month off. You are entitled to 12 weeks of FMLA, but to go 6 months is usually a medical leave and a healthy mother and newborn don't qualify. Your best bet is to ask about going PRN now in your unit or as a float and see if you can do this when you come back. Look at open positions. And talk to your manager. If there are not any PRN jobs you can see if a position with less hours is available.

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Mar 3, 2017

"So I'm planning to switch to per diem status once I have a baby, and also am hoping/planning to take off 6 months when the baby is born."

No employer is going to keep you on for 6 months after the baby is born. Even if you achieve part time / per diem status, before the baby comes, you would need to fulfill the requirements for that position. That would include xxx amount of hours per month.

I appreciate your dream.. not gonna happen.

MunoRN, RN · Mar 3, 2017

What you really need to consider is your insurance coverage. If you go on leave and then don't come back in a position that qualifies for coverage, your employer can retroactively rescind your coverage, which would typically include about 14k to 25k for an uncomplicated childbirth. Since it doesn't qualify for FMLA, and since you may not be covered during your leave, I would first make sure you are otherwise covered, usually through your spouse.

cleback · Mar 3, 2017

Don't think the 6 month leave is going to happen if you're in the us. You'd have better luck quitting and then reapplying for per diem status.

If you're looking to have your leave at least part way paid, I don't think you can avoid coming back to work after 3 months for at least a little while... and then applying for per diem.

BTW, you might enjoy getting the break from baby at work. Personally loved the time away, although I only worked parttime. Good times...

Jolie, BSN · Mar 3, 2017

By federal law, your employer must have a written policy and procedure regarding implementation of FMLA. I suggest familiarizing yourself with it as a first step. They may also have a policy regarding maternity leave for those who don't qualify for FMLA or request time beyond the limits of FMLA.

To qualify for FMLA, you typically must have 1 year seniority and a minimum of 1020 hours of service in the 12 months preceding your leave. If you qualify and take leave under those conditions, your employer will maintain your insurance and other benefits for the duration of your leave, with you continuing to make your financial contribution toward your premiums. Whether or not you must use all available PTO is a matter of your employer's policy. Some will require you to do so, others not. If you fail to return to work in a benefits-eligible status for a minimum amount of time following the end of your leave, your employer can bill you for the cost of benefits provided to you during that time (essentially the employer contribution to your premium.) Not all employers do this, but by law they are allowed to, so you should ask in advance if this will happen. This is intended to protect employers for paying for expensive benefits for employees who have no intention of working a significant amount of hours post leave.

As far taking an additional 3 months of leave beyond FMLA, it never hurts to ask. The hospital where I worked when I had my children allowed this, and they were smart to do so. The nursing staff was comprised overwhelmingly of women of childbearing age. If they had cut every nurse loose who asked for extended maternity leave, they would have been replacing staff constantly. It was far more cost-effective to keep staff happy than to replace and re-train a revolving group of staff nurses.

You are smart to be researching this information in advance and considering your options. Best of luck to you!

RNperdiem, RN · Mar 3, 2017

My story. I worked in the same unit for a couple of years, and I went to per diem status in the float pool near the end of my pregnancy. My husband's job provided our health insurance since he got a better financial deal.

I worked a per diem schdule until I delivered, and worked the minimum 1 shift a pay period after the baby was born. I picked weekend days because the per diem rate plus weekend differential paid the best, and my husband was home so we would not have to pay for childcare.

In those early days, work was good for my mental health. Spending all day with infants and young children can leave a person feeling so ..weary. Not tired, but weary. Getting to get out of the house a couple of days a month, be with adults and do work felt good and brought in money. My leaving full time work almost cut our income in half, and we felt the financial pinch. Over the years, I would work more shifts and my husband would get raises, but I won't forget what it was like living so financially lean.

I enjoyed the freedom of per diem work so much that although I have increased my working hours, I still haven't made it back to full time. status.

LovingLife123 · Mar 3, 2017

You can ask to take 6 months, but your employer is only required to hold your job and benefits for 12 weeks. So basically you would be terminated after the 12 weeks and then you would have to reapply to a per diem position. If you are on excellent terms with your employer they may accommodate that but if they are short staffed I wouldn't count on it. They need people to work and they need to fill positions.

If money isn't an issue, then just quit and find something after the baby is born and you are ready to return to work. If you are dependent on the money and you need the benefits, 6 months of leave is a pipe dream.

SmilingBluEyes · Mar 3, 2017

If you don't need the benefits ( e.g. your spouse carries these) you could always try to go per diem somewhere in your pregnancy. As for myself, we made a major move across the USA so I was jobless after my baby was born. When I arrived at my new home, I applied for, and got, a per diem position at the new hospital. By the time the move was complete and I secured to new position, 5 (almost 6) months had passed and I had spent all that time at home, taking care of my kids full-time. Being per diem was a blessing. I worked mostly weekend/nights and always around my husband's schedule. One of us was with the kids 24/7 and we never used daycare.

That 15% differential was sure nice and having the freedom to work when available, wonderful. But my husband carried all the medical benefits and we did not lose any of that when I quit full-time work. We were able to afford my going from full-time to per diem at the time. I remained per diem for 6 years, able to homeschool and full-time raise my kids during that time and still made enough money to help cover the bills. It was a fabulous time to be home with the kids, being the (almost) full-time mom and seeing all their "firsts" for myself, like first steps, first words, potty-training them myself, etc. We had to learn to live on a lot less money to enable me to work this way, but it was worth it 100%. My last one is almost 18, so my childrearing days are essentially over and I work fulltime now. Some days, I would give anything to go back to those fun, much-simpler times but then again, now my husband and I can take vacations anytime we want, not having to work around kid schedules. I am at a wonderful time, oldest is married with a 2 year old girl (being a grandma rocks), and watching my adult children (and grandbaby) thrive and do well. So I am not too wistful or sad these days.

Listen, they are only little for a VERY short time. IF you can swing it in ANY way, spend at much time at home with them while they are little. You can' t get that time back and you will, like me, treasure those moments, and be glad you spent that time with your kids, rather than working all the time. Plenty of time to work; not so much, raising little ones.

Good luck whatever you decide. You have time to plan ahead. I wish you well.

ricki76, BSN, MSN, RN · Jul 7, 2017

Just wanted to say thank you so much for all the feedback I received. I think my best bet is to ask to drop down to 24 hrs/week (currently 36) sometime during the pregnancy. I'll have to crunch the numbers and see if it makes more financial sense to get on my husband's health insurance etc. It's so hard feeling torn between maintaining my career and the desire to be a full-time stay at home mom, but I understand that's a struggle most child-bearing women face in this day and age. Luckily nursing is a flexible career and we have grandparents close by...

Apparently it can be tricky in the ICU that I work in to drop hours like that, so if that ends up being the case I might have bigger decisions to make. Trying not to count my eggs before they are hatched...