Work Hours

Hiay,

I know there have been heaps of topics about working, BFing etc and i've found these incredibly helpful. Just wanted to hear a bit more specifically about what you all chose to do in regards to your work hours.

I'm supposed to be going back to work full time at the 14 week mark. I'm an account manager on the road so can have some versatility in my hours but it's still pretty full on. I worry I have over commited myself and my priorities are starting to change the closer we get to the birth.

DH may be deployed back over seas for 5 months in April and i'm supposed to go back to work in May.

How did you working mums get on? Did you reduce your hours and what hours did you find suited bubs the best? Should I look at taking 6 months (money will be scary tight)? Or perhaps would say 4 days a week 6 hours per day be ok?

Sorry for all the q's. I just feel like working long hours and doing the best for our little girl is going to be alot harder than I think. Especially if i'm on my own.

I'm really feeling lost and I need to put my PPL in soon as work are asking for it. WHAT DO I DO?????

If you were to stay at home for the 6 months would that make you entitled to WFF, just something that might make a difference for you. They have calculators on the IRD website.

I had planned to return to work at 6 months but never ended up going back (well did some casual work but nothing to shout about). We actually found we could live on a lot less money than we thought we could pre baby so you might be surprised once you are off work how much (or how little) you can live on.

If thinking part time then research child care costs etc and see if you can make something work. Doesn't hurt to find out what childcare is on offer and what hours they cover etc this early anyway as some areas have big queues for you to get in anyway.

I personally think with a younger bubba I would have preferred to work say 3 full days and then have 4 fully off rather than working 5 part days.

it possibly might be a better idea to put in for longer maternity as it would possibly be easier to go back earlier than expected as opposed to wanting more if you took less. it is hard cause until you hasve bub you wont know how you personally will cope or your body and healing etc....

hope that made sense - had small child on knee!

Edited by Bizzy

Another thing to think about is if DH goes on deployment again, you will be getting a lot more money coming in (and seeing as that part is not taxed it doesn't affect WFF) so could therefore stay home longer. If he wasn't going away, then you wouldn't be coping on your own so it would be easier.

I would put in for longer ML though and that covers your basis. You won't know how you feel about being a SAHM or a working mum until you have baby in your arms.

With my first child, I was only going to take the 3 months or 12 weeks as it was then off and then straight back to work....

I was completely blown away by motherhood & ended up extending my leave til 5 months, as that was all I could get & then I worked 2 1/2 hrs a day. I still only do about 35 hours per week so that I can spend time with her as well.

This time, stuff the money, I'm taking as much time as I can get, finishing much earlier too , this is why we are shifting to Aus, DH gets SO much more $$ over there.

Might be worth having a meeting with WINZ & seeing what assistance you will be able to get.

Edited by Aliasmum

I just did the calcs on the WWF website. If I halve my hours, we are entitled to $3.00 per week.

We thought about that and DH was quite keen. He was going to stay home for about 6 weeks while I went back to work after PPL. It was the only way really as he's doing his carpentry apprentiship so he is bound by that at the mo and cutting hours could be bad for his job.

Guess I really started thinking about this as the possibility of him being deployed came up.

I think i'll go back at the start of term 2 (I work with schools) at reduced hours then look at full time in term3 gearing up for term 4 which is hectic. Is there a norm for reduced hours? E.g. 20, 30 hours or something like that? This is all new to me.

I know what you mean about being the main income earner.  Thats me too and I am starting to accept that for a few years we just arent going to earn what we could if I was working.  I did some part time work when Tom was about 9 months and my 2 days per week brought in about the same as Dh's full week but I miss being with Tom so couldnt do it full time.

 

At the moment I am not working at all, other than doing some book keeping casually but I think I have stored up enough self employed hours over the last 6 months to just get the PPL and then after that I might see if I can get sat work so DH can have the kids.

 

You can survive on a lot less than you think........and then you wonder what you used to spend the money on.  

 

One thing to think about with WFF is that if you underestimate how much you might earn you could have to pay back the payments you have received.....ARSE!!!! so it might be an idea to apply but get it calculated at the end of the tax year.

If it were me I'd write up a budget based on your DH's income and try it for a month, there's no harm trying since your income is still going to be coming in, and you can find out if it's going to work. But there will probably be some extra expenses while you are working as well. But if it works you could put away a good chunk of what you earn to take a longer period off after bubs arrives. While we didn't get WFF (for about 9 months) we supplemented DH's income with money we had saved and we are strict about our budget but instead of going back to work I'm still off and studying even. But going on a tight budget does require a bit of a mindset change. Lots of people say it won't work but it will if you ditch luxuries for a while.

I am having a year off, things will be really tight but you can always work around that and make things work to your advantage. Just like getting WFF I will be applying for that after maternity leave is over since DH will be working (hopefully for the police).

I am just trying to get everything I will need for bubs for a year now then thats one less thing to worry about next year and can budget a bit better.

Good luck with your decision making, it is hard.