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Well, taking a year is certainly different than taking 12-16 weeks like I plan to (although that's sort of a long time for the US). Regardless, I'm a lawyer and 30 weeks pregnant and I have a job interview tomorrow. Is the timing ideal? Ummmm no. haha. It really sucks. But if the right job comes along I feel like you should go for it and let the logistics work themselves out-- or not. It seems like if you haven't even gotten pregnant yet you're fine because regardless you'd have 9 months there, which is a pretty long time.

@sslm: Hmm..well the first thing I'd look into (and you probably already have) is the new organization's mat leave policy. Most organizations require you to be there at least 6 months to a year before they'll give you mat leave top-up.

I would probably want to be there at least a year to 18 months before going on leave.

I got pregnant a few months after i started my new job, so i worked just shy of one year before going on mat leave.

It really depends on your company/manager. If it makes you feel better, i was not mommy tracked!

@heartonastring: @looch: I know that as long as you worked the minimum hours, you qualify to receive government mat leave benefits (EI), but top-up benefit qualifications would be different.

As long as you worked 600 hours in the last 52 weeks prior to going on leave (or from the time you came back from another unemployment leave, whichever is later) you qualify. Your earnings also have to be reduced by more than 40% by going on leave.

This will qualify you for 15 weeks of mat leave and 35 weeks of parental leave benefits.

So if you started the job 3 months pregnant and work until your mat leave, you should qualify for the full government mandated benefits, depending on what your hours of work are.

Even without a long maternity leave, my goal was to be back at my job for a minimum of one year. I don't think they mommytrack here, but just wanted my own personal insurance.

It's just been a year since I've been back .DS is 15 months now and we won't TTC until he's 17-18 months.

I got pregnant 3-4 months into my first engineering job out of school, so i went on mat leave (I'm in Canada too) after working for just over a year.
I was very nervous telling people at work, but everyone was super nice about it. My boss was even happy to let me work from home 1-2 days a week when my leave was up.

I went back to work and a few months later became pregnant. By the time D2 arrived, I worked a full year. Granted, though, it wasn't a new job.

My employer requires I work after the leave to keep my top-up, so I know it's not what you're asking, but if you're currently being topped up, just make sure you are in the clear with them in that regard!

I would say a year would be sufficient if changing jobs, wonder if you could/want to be upfront about where you are at life stage-wise.