https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 30 Apr 2026 18:14:07 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-328441 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:40:46 +0000 PrincessBaby 328441@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chrispygal: Thank you! The holding my job thing does make me nervous. Being in sales, they like to make changes at the end of the year or right at the beginning. They are notorious for "restructuring" or doing a "realignment." Sometimes people get shaved off, their territory gets eliminated or something. So I don't want to make myself an easy target for them to get rid of me. I'm probably leaving within a few months of coming back anyway due to a move for my husband's job, but being in sales, my next job is dependant on my success at this one, and I feel like it will look bad if they let me go. I have learned in the past few weeks that there is no sympathy for the Mommy Track. Thank you for helping me to understand it! It's all so confusing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-328438 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:37:08 +0000 chrispygal 328438@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jholler25: Sure. As I understand it, FMLA is 12 weeks in one calendar year or one rolling year, so you'll only have a total of 12 weeks for the pregnancy. Bed rest does trigger FMLA. You can research what your company allows for leave. My company allows up to 16 weeks of parenting leave, although the last four are outside FMLA so they do not have to hold my job for me. I ended up taking 13 weeks, and had conversations with my management who had no problem holding my job. If you're worried about job security, then perhaps the doctor's note can be for restricted duties? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-328338 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 09:36:40 +0000 PrincessBaby 328338@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@chrispygal: You are Soooooo right...Thank you for sharing what happened to you....Can I pick your brain a little? I find that asking questions to MetLife, who handles our STD and Maternity leave, will only get me so far, and then they refer me to HR. It's like they don't want to be CRYSTAL clear. On purpose...</p> <p>So, I've already burned through 2 weeks of FMLA from when I was put on bedrest in the first tri. I have been under the impression that I only have 10 weeks left of FMLA left in the same year (End of April was when I was on bedrest, so any leave before that counts in the same year). If I were to get my doctor to put me on bedrest prior to going out for maternity leave, wouldn't that count against my FMLA time, and therefore leave me with less time that I can take when the baby's actually here?</p> <p>Anytime I ask about it, I get so confused. And MetLife won't let me file my actual claim until a month before my due date, so I can't get everything in writing about what will happen until early November. </p> <p>@BabyBruins: I don't think it's that if I have one bad quarter, it's a big deal...It's just that we do a lot of events/dinners/speaker programs to educate doctors on our products, on top of making calls on them. And other activities too, like flying in doctors that are trained on our products to meet with my accounts/doctors to try to move business. Things that take a lot of coordination and are exhausting, and they have given me a list of XYZ things that I have to get done (like aside from making numbers), such as having 2 doctors fly in to work with me in October for 3 days each, and I have to set up meetings with him and my accounts. On top of that, when they pay to have these special doctors sent in to work with us, we're supposed to do dinners every night, where we invite 15-20 docs and the special doctor gives a presentation. In addition to that, we have other events we have to plan each quarter, and I was basically told that if I don't use the budget for these events then our budget could be cut for next quarter bc it will look to corporate like we didn't utilize the budget and therefore don't need it. So I have to cram other events in the next 6 weeks too. It all just takes a ton of planning and coordination and I still have to go out every day, make my 8 calls, take care of my expense report, send my sales reports in each week. They're just throwing A TON extra on me, I think to make sure that I do pull out my number. Or I die trying! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-328298 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 07:59:38 +0000 ladyfingers 328298@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Man that stinks! Please be careful, you really do not want to overwork yourself right now. Though on the upside, maybe your clients will feel bad that you're so pregnant and buy more stuff from you? ;)</p> <p>My work is slowing down already just by nature if some stuff that's happened. My company produced 2 products - 1 core and one new - and all our focus had been on the new product for the past year. Then we sold the new product to a big insurance company and now there's much less to do while my boss helps that company roll out the product. So my workload won't be ready to really ramp up until I'm back from maternity leave anyway. Plus my company is small and family owned so they are pretty understanding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-328292 Sat, 06 Oct 2012 07:49:44 +0000 chrispygal 328292@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work for a Fortune 100 company, so I understand what you mean about corporate america. I just returned to find out two weeks of my maternity leave was unpaid because they told me wrong information about my ability to use sick time while on FMLA. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper. That's a different story for another time though (but just make sure to triple check how things work!). </p> <p>My job did not slow down at all, and is very fast paced and high stress. I am lucky that local management was fantastic with me. They did not take away any of my work, but were supportive if I did not want to travel. I did take a business trip to NY and when I returned, I started having some major issues with high blood pressure. Within two weeks I ended up being put on bed rest so there was no choice - I had to slow down. If that's what ends up happening for you, it's not the worst thing. It will force them to just deal with it.</p> <p>Here is my advice. Keep in communications with your doctor about your fears now and if work gets too stressful, then discuss having your doctor put you out on bed rest or give you a note regarding restrictions. USE THIS to your advantage. The law protects us and your employer cannot penalize you or jeapordize your job because you couldn't perform certain duties while pregnant or after delivering, especially if you have a doctor's note. I'm not saying use this as an excuse not to work, and I don't think you would do that anyway, but use this protection if you feel your job duties are too demanding and will have a physical impact on you and the baby. Right now that is the most important thing! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-328165 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 22:52:13 +0000 pinkcupcake 328165@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think I put the pressure on myself to get everything completed but my boss was really cool about having reasonable expectations (example: I only needed to meet half of my quota since I would be leaving for leave halfway thru the year). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327973 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:18:59 +0000 wheres_c 327973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My company has been great with me so far, but I personally feel guilty for being behind and taking time off. Our company is sales, but im an analyst. My coworker (in sales) is due the same date as me and is still expected to meet her monthly goals. I don't know how she does it! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327954 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:03:44 +0000 winniebee 327954@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well I was put on bedrest at 30 weeks and thereafter worked from home, so....yes it slowed down then. However I worked harder during my pregnancy than I ever had in my career. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327953 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:00:44 +0000 LemonLong 327953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I work for a Fortune 50 company and my boss is awesome about letting me slow down! The other day she told me not to worry about it if I needed a nap during the day or anything. Unfortunately, there's so much I want to get done before I get out that I really haven't slown down that much! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327951 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:00:17 +0000 BabyBruins 327951@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jholler25: I'm in sales too and I was originally supposed to go out about halfway through Q1, but ended up having the baby early on Dec. 31 (kind of perfect). I was going to have my temp slowly transition in the last month before my due date, but again, she ended up jumping in early and honestly once the baby came, I really didn't worry about work and my number and my target anymore and didn't think about it until I went back to work. Work will go on without you. I just finished my first full Q back and killed my target.<br /> If you have one bad quarter, is that really bad? We usually get some time to bounce back and I would hope that they can't penalize you too significantly for having one quarter be off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327945 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:52:32 +0000 mediagirl 327945@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh dear. Please try to take care of yourself right now!!! </p> <p>My work let me slow down. They're a small, very cool company, though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327942 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:49:17 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 327942@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh ish...can't help but wanted to say that I think you can do it and I support you!!! At the same time: that frikkin sucks and it's going to be super difficult....I'm sorry:/ business is business I guess:/<br /> Does the quarter end before your mat leave ends? Could you come back and finish it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327937 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:43:24 +0000 PrincessBaby 327937@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@dagret: I'n glad you'll have it fairly easy:). Yes, this week has been a nightmare as all of this has become apparent. I suspect every week is going to be the same until I leave... </p> <p>I need to start buying lottery tickets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327930 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:30:33 +0000 dagret 327930@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jholler25: I was wondering where you'd been the past few days! I can't imagine. DH is in sales so I'm familiar with the number pressure. Your story sounds like every other woman I know in sales. It sucks. </p> <p>As for me, I'm due jan 25 and we are relatively slow from mid- dec to mid-jan so I'm not expecting to be very busy around the time I will go on leave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/did-your-workemployer-slow-down-or-speed-up-at-the-end-of-your-pregnancy#post-327918 Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:05:10 +0000 PrincessBaby 327918@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm in medical device sales. It's a very demanding job. I really thought that since I'm only working about 6 weeks of the 4th Quarter (we live and die by quarters for sales numbers) that I could kind of take it easier...I won't even be here for half of it, so if I don't "make my number" for the quarter, it would be accepted because I was out for half of it!</p> <p>Um, no. I am being driven into the ground to not only make sure that I pull out the results I need in 6 weeks, but I'm also expected to complete any events that are required...For ex, any expectations for events or meetings that I would normally have the entire quarter to spread things out over so I don't go nuts, I'm being forced to complete before I leave. </p> <p>My last day of work is Nov 21st. I'm mildly worried that they're going to work me so hard that I go into preterm labor or something. From the stress, of course.</p> <p>How was it for you at the end? Was your employer forgiving or did they turn up the heat and decide that you were going to earn your maternity leave before you got it?</p> <p>I work for a Fortune 100 company by the way, so I suppose this is just corporate America rules. They're too big to make allowances for little old me, so I just have to cram an entire quarter into 6 weeks, because I'm just an Employee ID, and they really don't care about my extenuating circumstances, they just want the results that I'm expected to produce each quarter.</p> <p>WOE IS ME!!!! </p>