Pregnant and due a week before biglaw start date. Maternity leave? Forum

[SemperLegal]

OP, if you get a positive response from your firm, out them (by nominating them as a family friendly workplace, or at least make sure you review them highly on Chambers or ATL surveys. Actual lifestyle firms should be rewarded for taking things like maternity leave seriously.

I picked my firm mainly because it had a better family leave policy than my second choice, but I only found out by chance.

[DELG]

Once you're sure the pregnancy is viable, tell them you're pregnant.

I predict they're going to tell you you're welcome to start late and not pay for anything since you're due before you start.

[midnight419]

Is that you Beyonce?

[xRON MEXiCOx]

It's at will employment so I'd be queasy about doing this. They likely won't be upset you're pregnant, but may think you're unreliable based on the decision to take maternity leave before you start. By speaking with HR, you increase the likelihood they tell you to take some maternity leave, which while still being a risky choice would be less so than you suggesting it on your own. In a perfect world you would initially refuse to take it because you're too excited about starting work, and have partners subsequently begging you to take maternity leave, which you reluctantly accept.

This is amazing

[Anonymous User]

I recommend you post this to Corporette.com. There are many more working mothers in biglaw there.

My gut is that you generally don't get any benefits for any job unless you actually start work--there are tax issues involved with giving benefits to non-employees, and if you hadn't yet started, that'd be you.

Whether a firm has a waiting period for benefits to kick in depends on a number of factors, including FMLA, which, in turn, depends on how many employees they have in a state. Some states have state disability protections for pregnancy. But again, all of these things are for employees, and until you show up and work, you are not an employee.

You truly do need to talk to the HR at the company once you are further along in your pg and more sure about the due date.

Congrats!

FWIW, there was an associate who started and had a baby just a few weeks later at Latham SV in 2007 or so. She was canned with everyone else who got Lathamized in 2009, when she was out for mat leave again. I don't think she really proved her worth in the eight or so months she actually worked there.

[A. Nony Mouse]

I recommend you post this to Corporette.com. There are many more working mothers in biglaw there.

My gut is that you generally don't get any benefits for any job unless you actually start work--there are tax issues involved with giving benefits to non-employees, and if you hadn't yet started, that'd be you.

Whether a firm has a waiting period for benefits to kick in depends on a number of factors, including FMLA, which, in turn, depends on how many employees they have in a state. Some states have state disability protections for pregnancy. But again, all of these things are for employees, and until you show up and work, you are not an employee.

You truly do need to talk to the HR at the company once you are further along in your pg and more sure about the due date.

Congrats!

FWIW, there was an associate who started and had a baby just a few weeks later at Latham SV in 2007 or so. She was canned with everyone else who got Lathamized in 2009, when she was out for mat leave again. I don't think she really proved her worth in the eight or so months she actually worked there.

So are you saying that her taking maternity leave was the reason she got Lathamed, as opposed to getting Lathamed for the same reasons as everyone else who presumably didn't take maternity leave?

[janefbk]

I recommend you post this to Corporette.com. There are many more working mothers in biglaw there.

My gut is that you generally don't get any benefits for any job unless you actually start work--there are tax issues involved with giving benefits to non-employees, and if you hadn't yet started, that'd be you.

Whether a firm has a waiting period for benefits to kick in depends on a number of factors, including FMLA, which, in turn, depends on how many employees they have in a state. Some states have state disability protections for pregnancy. But again, all of these things are for employees, and until you show up and work, you are not an employee.

You truly do need to talk to the HR at the company once you are further along in your pg and more sure about the due date.

Congrats!

FWIW, there was an associate who started and had a baby just a few weeks later at Latham SV in 2007 or so. She was canned with everyone else who got Lathamized in 2009, when she was out for mat leave again. I don't think she really proved her worth in the eight or so months she actually worked there.

So are you saying that her taking maternity leave was the reason she got Lathamed, as opposed to getting Lathamed for the same reasons as everyone else who presumably didn't take maternity leave?

No. I was in LA office in 2009. Attorneys who busted their a$$ off got Lathamed. Her taking maternity leave made no difference.

[Anonymous User]

Maternity leave only matters if you're staffed on something, and then the remaining people need to do your work. Honestly, if you're a woman this is a non-issue because people can see that you're pregnant and you probably talk about it so they would have a plan in place for when you go into labor. So the only time it will ever be an issue is if you're a man, and you don't tell anyone your wife may go into labor soon. Even then everyone gets it, and it's annoying, but not a big deal. People may have to work harder because of babies being born, but ideally you're all in this together. They cover for you when you need them, and you cover for them when they need you. This is everyone's ideal work environment.

[Tls2016]

Maternity leave only matters if you're staffed on something, and then the remaining people need to do your work. Honestly, if you're a woman this is a non-issue because people can see that you're pregnant and you probably talk about it so they would have a plan in place for when you go into labor. So the only time it will ever be an issue is if you're a man, and you don't tell anyone your wife may go into labor soon. Even then everyone gets it, and it's annoying, but not a big deal. People may have to work harder because of babies being born, but ideally you're all in this together. They cover for you when you need them, and you cover for them when they need you. This is everyone's ideal work environment.

OPs problem with expecting maternity leave is that she hasn't started working. The question is if she can get maternity leave from a job she hasn't even started.(My guess is no, she can't as she isn't an employee.) I don't think she will even have health insurance. I expect she will have insurance through her husband.
Her best option is to start early, but she will also be taking the bar exam. She can't afford to fail the bar and then have to retake in February while working and with a baby. I'm not saying that OP can't do it, but failing the bar twice is a automatic out in biglaw. So passing the first time is important. It is possible to work and take the bar at the same time but who knows what OPs health will be or if the firm will even allow her to start early.

[Anonymous User]

Maternity leave only matters if you're staffed on something, and then the remaining people need to do your work. Honestly, if you're a woman this is a non-issue because people can see that you're pregnant and you probably talk about it so they would have a plan in place for when you go into labor. So the only time it will ever be an issue is if you're a man, and you don't tell anyone your wife may go into labor soon. Even then everyone gets it, and it's annoying, but not a big deal. People may have to work harder because of babies being born, but ideally you're all in this together. They cover for you when you need them, and you cover for them when they need you. This is everyone's ideal work environment.

OPs problem with expecting maternity leave is that she hasn't started working. The question is if she can get maternity leave from a job she hasn't even started.(My guess is no, she can't as she isn't an employee.) I don't think she will even have health insurance. I expect she will have insurance through her husband.
Her best option is to start early, but she will also be taking the bar exam. She can't afford to fail the bar and then have to retake in February while working and with a baby. I'm not saying that OP can't do it, but failing the bar twice is a automatic out in biglaw. So passing the first time is important. It is possible to work and take the bar at the same time but who knows what OPs health will be or if the firm will even allow her to start early.

(1) The bar doesn't take that much time to study for. People who pass would pass with much less studying, and people who fail would fail with much more study time. (2) They probably wouldn't give her paid maternity leave, but she could probably push back the start date.

[Tls2016]

Maternity leave only matters if you're staffed on something, and then the remaining people need to do your work. Honestly, if you're a woman this is a non-issue because people can see that you're pregnant and you probably talk about it so they would have a plan in place for when you go into labor. So the only time it will ever be an issue is if you're a man, and you don't tell anyone your wife may go into labor soon. Even then everyone gets it, and it's annoying, but not a big deal. People may have to work harder because of babies being born, but ideally you're all in this together. They cover for you when you need them, and you cover for them when they need you. This is everyone's ideal work environment.

OPs problem with expecting maternity leave is that she hasn't started working. The question is if she can get maternity leave from a job she hasn't even started.(My guess is no, she can't as she isn't an employee.) I don't think she will even have health insurance. I expect she will have insurance through her husband.
Her best option is to start early, but she will also be taking the bar exam. She can't afford to fail the bar and then have to retake in February while working and with a baby. I'm not saying that OP can't do it, but failing the bar twice is a automatic out in biglaw. So passing the first time is important. It is possible to work and take the bar at the same time but who knows what OPs health will be or if the firm will even allow her to start early.

(1) The bar doesn't take that much time to study for. People who pass would pass with much less studying, and people who fail would fail with much more study time. (2) They probably wouldn't give her paid maternity leave, but she could probably push back the start date.

Yes, I was just thinking that working and taking the bar and being pregnant might be too much if she asked for an earlier start date so she might get the benefits she was asking about. A late start date should be easy to get from a firm if she can live without making any money.

[Anonymous User]

Maternity leave only matters if you're staffed on something, and then the remaining people need to do your work. Honestly, if you're a woman this is a non-issue because people can see that you're pregnant and you probably talk about it so they would have a plan in place for when you go into labor. So the only time it will ever be an issue is if you're a man, and you don't tell anyone your wife may go into labor soon. Even then everyone gets it, and it's annoying, but not a big deal. People may have to work harder because of babies being born, but ideally you're all in this together. They cover for you when you need them, and you cover for them when they need you. This is everyone's ideal work environment.

OPs problem with expecting maternity leave is that she hasn't started working. The question is if she can get maternity leave from a job she hasn't even started.(My guess is no, she can't as she isn't an employee.) I don't think she will even have health insurance. I expect she will have insurance through her husband.
Her best option is to start early, but she will also be taking the bar exam. She can't afford to fail the bar and then have to retake in February while working and with a baby. I'm not saying that OP can't do it, but failing the bar twice is a automatic out in biglaw. So passing the first time is important. It is possible to work and take the bar at the same time but who knows what OPs health will be or if the firm will even allow her to start early.

(1) The bar doesn't take that much time to study for. People who pass would pass with much less studying, and people who fail would fail with much more study time. (2) They probably wouldn't give her paid maternity leave, but she could probably push back the start date.

Yes, I was just thinking that working and taking the bar and being pregnant might be too much if she asked for an earlier start date so she might get the benefits she was asking about. A late start date should be easy to get from a firm if she can live without making any money.

I would imagine that how much work being pregnant is would be more about OP's genetics and overall health than anything else. For some people pregnancy isn't a huge deal and for others it's hell. I'm not sure how much strain working adds to that, but I doubt people would suspect she planned her pregnancy to take advantage of big law perks. At my office it would have worked brilliantly - first years get eased in, and babies make for easy safe conversation. The more important thing would be OP getting her shit together because she's not going to have much free time ever again.