Were you able to negotiate a more flexible work schedule after maternity leave?

[Anonymous]

If so how? Telling my employer soon and wanted to hear how others have gotten their workplaces to agree to a more flexible work environment.

[Anonymous]

My boss let me work for 3 months after I exhausted my 12 weeks of FMLA. Don't be afraid to negotiate, you will be surprised at what you can get.

[Anonymous]

*let me work from home

[Anonymous]

Yes, I was able to negotiate working part time until my baby turned a year. We discussed it before I left and when I returned I started at 3 days a week and moved up to 4 days before coming back full time.

[Anonymous]

My boss let me work from home one day a week.

[Anonymous]

I proposed a four day work week (so 80% schedule) and 80% pay. I got it.

It worked for a while but after 18 months or so it didn't - found myself working from home that day - not all day - but enough that I was resentful for not getting paid.

Went back FT a few months later.

Now, work for a much more family friendly company and have a very flexible schedule without having to negotiate.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I went from working five days a week in our far away office to working there 3 days a week, one day a week in our close office and one day a week from home.

Three years after that I was able to negotiate working 4 days a week in our closer office, still keeping the one day at home.

[Anonymous]

I was already telecommuting full time, so I received no further considerations.

[Anonymous]

LOL no. I am on job #5 since my oldest was born 13 years ago. It's easier now that everyone is older, but uh, no. I wish it were different.

[Anonymous]

I took leave without pay 2 days a week for the first 6 months. Work was slow at the time, so it was actually beneficial that I only needed 60% of my salary covered.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I had been there a long time and they wanted to keep me.

[Anonymous]

It doesn't hurt to ask. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

yes, think about what you really want and then write it down and present it as a plan to your boss. All they can say is no.

i asked to work from home 4 days a week for six months. i thought for sure i'd be turned down and we'd negotiate, but they accepted my plan with no changes. Co-workers who were pregnant at the same time asked for much less and received less.

[Anonymous]

Yes. I went to a two days/week telework schedule after my first, and it's been great. I transitioned to a new job in my organization and one of the first things my new boss said when he offered me the job was that he was aware of my telework schedule and would let me keep it. Not keeping it would have been a deal-breaker.

[Anonymous]

No. Teacher. I didn't expect much flexibility because our reporting hours are contractually based, but usually principals are kind toward new parents of either gender. I'd been at schools where principals tried for a master schedule that allowed planning periods when a bfing mom needed to pump for example.

Ironically, my schedule actually became more inflexible after my maternity leave. I transferred to a new school that was closer to home in order to reduce my commute time not knowing that the principal there had a policy of assigning morning duty to those who lived closest to the school. I ended up having morning duty followed by three classes and a team meeting so no break to pump until lunch time. Recurrent mastitis.