Should You Quit Work When Pregnant
During pregnancy, many working moms go through a lot of changes. In this process, their health, productivity, and performance at work may be affected. As a result the pregnancy may lead to a loss of motivation for work, making many pregnant moms want to quit their jobs.
You can hence quit your work because you are expectant if you feel you have valid reasons to do so. For instance, some pregnancies are high risk and may have health issues preventing one from working hence the need to quit work.Therefore it is quit OK to quit work when pregnant.
Nonetheless whether one should or should not quit work during pregnancy is relative to individual factors. Basically, you should not quit work just because you are pregnant.
You should only quit work during pregnancy if it stops you from working. You can easily manage going through our entire pregnancy while you are still working. You do not have to resign because you feel you should not be working in your pregnancy.
Read: How To Stay Motivated at Work During Pregnancy
Jobs/Work to Avoid during Pregnancy
If you decide to continue working while pregnant, stick to easy and physically/mentally manageable jobs. Avoid working in the following jobs when you are pregnant;
- Jobs/work that involve heavy lifting- Avoid tasks that require you to lift heavy objects
- Jobs/work that expose you to hazardous materials like chemicals e.g aluminium, arsenic
- Jobs/work that have high stress level – avoid top level management tasks, crisis management tasks
- Jobs/work that require to stand for long periods of time- especially during your third trimester
- Jobs that require you to work longer than 8 hours per day or 40 hours per week.
As a caution you should not work for more than 40 hours a week i.e full time when you are pregnant. Overwhelming yourself with too much work may lead to fatigue and burn out. Eventually it may cause complications for your overall health and pregnancy.
You can easily handle any other job or tasks as long as it is not a threat to your safety, or pregnancy and is not physically or mentally overwhelming. Further you can request to work from home. It will add to more convenience for you and make it easy for you to continue working in your pregnancy.
When to Quit/Stop Working During Pregnancy
If you want to quit work because you are pregnant, you can do it at any time. Nonetheless, there is absolutely no limit of time when you cannot continue working because you are pregnant.
You can quit work during the first, the second, or even the third trimester. You can quit your job at one month or even five or seven months into pregnancy. If you feel you can continue working till the very last day, then you can keep your job till then.
Only resign from work when you feel comfortable doing so. However the period you should quit is dependent on many reasons such as the reason for you to quit work, your health capability to continue working, and your financial stability to push you through pregnancy after quitting work.
Considering the above you should continue working during your pregnancy to up to the time;
- You are advised by the doctor to stop working because of health complications
- When you are unable to complete your tasks
- When your work becomes a hazard to your safety
- When you are unhappy and stressed at work
- You are financially stable and do not need to work
When you decide to quit your job because you are pregnant, do not be worried about getting another job later. Once you have delivered your baby and they are old enough to go to daycare or leave at home with a nanny, then you start all over again by starting out a new career at a new workplace.
You can gradually start working from home or working part-time before you can go fully into working full-time.
Read: Nanny or Daycare For Your New Infant As You Go Back To Work
Why you Should Stop Working when you get Pregnant
There are many reasons it is advised for you to stop working during your pregnancy
1. Pregnancy Complications
Some pregnant moms have it easy than others. Some have complications from the pregnancies due to nature of work and the exposure to hazards hence a valid reason to quit. If you have health complications you should stop working.
It is normally recommended for you to take it easy and stop working if possible. Do not put your safety at risk by continue to work while also exposing your self to complications.
2. Work-Related Stress
Working while pregnant is hard. It can affect your mental health from the stress which may come from a toxic workplace, demanding work, and lack of work-life balance. Some workplaces can be a source of stress for pregnant moms, which is not a healthy thing. It can also come from the stress of coping with work and the employees.
If you find yourself always unhappy and stressed at work during your pregnancy, it is recommended that you plan for exit and leave. Quitting a stressful job while pregnant is a very important decision. It will keep you away from the stress and sequentially make you happy and enjoy your pregnancy.
Stress is not good during pregnancy. One of the signs that you need to quit is if when you always too overwhelmed by work. As such you should slow down on some tasks to get some balance and if this is not possible then quit entirely. If your work is already weighing on your mental health and it’s leaving you anxious and drained, it is enough reason to quit that job for the sake of your pregnancy.
Read: How to Address Pregnancy Discrimination at Work
3. Poor Productivity And Performance
The performance of working moms is heavily affected by hormonal imbalances among other pregnancy-related factors.Even when pregnancies have no complications for some moms, it may cause others to become unproductive at work.
One of the signs that you may need to quit your job is when you are unable to meet your personal and team targets because of your pregnancy. Cut out, delegate or slow down on tasks that you find hard to work on or complete.
If you are feeling a lack of focus and performing poorly, you should leave. It is recommended that you quit if your pregnancy is getting in the way of your productivity.
Read: How to Prevent Stretch Marks during Pregnancy
4. Lack Of Motivation
Quit your job if you find your job unhappy and unfulfilling because of your pregnancy. Pregnancy in women can easily change priorities for working moms and a reason to stop working. Some pregnancy moms completely change priorities and focus on their families and the unborn child over their work.
Further, they lose touch with their work and motivation to work. If you feel unenthusiastic or interested in work take it as a sign that you need to stop working. If this is you and you are totally unmotivated by work, it is recommended to just leave.
5. Long Commute Hours
If you live far from work, then you may have a long commute. A long work commute is already exhausting on a normal day so it can be really overwhelming if you have to do it when pregnant. If your commute is over 1 and a half hours each way, it will be too draining and also costly for you.
Therefore consider quitting your job anytime during your pregnancy if you have a long work commute. Further, if your job involves international travel and hosting events, it is recommended that you stop working or find another job close to you.
Tips on How to Quit/Resign from Work When Pregnant
- Don’t Show Up the Next Day– If you feel your employer don’t deserve a notice, then simply stay home and don’t show up the next day. Otherwise if you are pregnant and you want to quit, just don’t show up anymore.
- Give in Resignation Notice – In some workplaces and depending on the type of contract, you may be obliged to give some notice when quitting work. Go through the contract and give in the required notice when you want to stop working during your pregnancy. Sometimes it is normally 14 days but you need to confirm through your company policy.
- Talk To your Boss About Quitting -If you feel that your boss deserves to know you are stopping work, then you can talk. Most employers will understand that high-risk pregnancies and other health issues are a priority. Talking to you boss will relieve you of the guilt of just quitting on your employer.
- Write to HR on Resigning– The HR should be in a position to advise on what you need to do about quitting work when you are pregnant. You can do a basic email to HR detailing when will be your last day. It is the most respectful way how to quit work when pregnant.
Read: How to Interview and Start a New Job when Pregnant
What Happens when i Quit During Pregnancy
Depending on your workplace, your contract and for how long you have worked for your employer, you may lose some benefits when you leave your job during your pregnancy. By quitting on your job , you will most likely ;
- Lose your pay- if you do not give in required notice, you are in breech of your contract and your employer is entitled to deduct this amount. What happens is you may hence lose entire pay or receive very minimal pay for that period in which you are quitting.
- Accrued benefits – you may no longer be entitled to benefits that are accrued annually such as bonuses after quitting employment
- Health insurance – You will also lose your heath insurance when you resign. You will need to meet your health and delivery related costs from your pocket.
- Maternity benefits – If you were initially entitled to maternity leave and benefits such as paid leave, you will lose them when you quit. Your employer will no longer pay you after you leave.
- Job- You also lose your job. What happens is your job no longer become protected and even after you deliver and wish to resume working, you cannot have your job back.
Take Early Maternity Leave Instead
Taking an early maternity leave is a better option than entirely quitting your job. Consider the benefits of an early maternity leave compared to resignation such as;
- Job security- you may still have your job after you deliver
- Time Off- you are still eligible for some unpaid leave time
- Financial stability- you are still entitled to pay during your leave
- Keep your insurance- you will not lose your health insurance , which will come in crucial during your delivery
If your workplace or field allows you to take extensive time off, then you can quit and come later rather than take early maternity leave. Some workplaces allow their employees to take some time off work for up to a year and they are then hired either at the same place.
If not you should be able to get something in another workplace. If your field of work is such that you can take a year off and easily find another job after not working for a year, then this should be your option.
Alternatively, you can work part-time by gradually cutting down your hours instead of quitting or taking early maternity. You can speak to your employer to gradually cut down your work hours so that you are working part-time by the time you are ready to deliver.
Working part-time is a good option for pregnant women compared to quitting or taking early maternity leave as it keeps you active, the work is manageable and you also get some pay out of it.
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