How To Ask About Maternity Leave In An Interview

So at the terminate of the interview, when yous think everything'southward over and you're trying to appear confident – only not too much as you don't want to seem cocky – you're e'er asked: "Do y'all take any questions?"

That's normally where you lot just say, "no, thank y'all" even though you might take a ton of questions merely are as well afraid to ask because you don't desire to seem too forward – you lot really need this job.

Anna Whitehouse, founder of Mother Pukka wrote an article for Stylist and asked the very important question every adult female attending a job interview should ask herself: "Why are we and then afraid to ask about maternity leave benefits?"

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'Manning' Upwardly

"In all 13 interviews I've tackled in my life, I've never been assuming enough to ask, 'what'southward your maternity package similar?'" Anna writes.

"I've also never been offered the information, despite the streams of other bonus balls that dangle to tempt talent."

Asking the question doesn't mean you're planning on having a babe in the nearby time to come. Simply information technology is a very important question to ask – it is every adult female's right to know if she can have a infant in peace without having to worry almost not being paid, or fear for losing her job because she'due south bringing some other human into this world.

Anna says there are even other aspects of her life she hides to show that she's the perfect one for the said job: "Not merely have I non asked the question, I've made a conscious try to not be held back by my marital status – in the same way, male candidates aren't. I've removed my engagement band (men don't wear them) and used my maiden name in a CV.

"I've also been tight-lipped about boyfriends and ensured that I give off the air of a defended, career-focused baron whose ovaries are more resistant to Pampers ads than the candidate before. A candidate who more than closely resembles a homo. A human who – despite shared parental leave beingness bachelor – won't require a year off to raise a pocket-size human."

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Existence Equal

It's hard being a woman. Information technology'southward even harder being a mum or a working mum.

"Parenthood is not simply a vanity projection," Anna writes. "It'due south about working on life, and to be chopped out of the job market for taking on Mother Nature's biggest task takes usa back to the Dark Ages. If nosotros continue to flip between being family-focused or career-minded, we're ultimately going to lose at both."

She urges employers to make "uncomplicated" changes by "mentioning maternity benefits in the same sentence as holiday … not looking for engagement rings and subconsciously hit someone off the listing for fear of procreation".

"Information technology'south as unproblematic as the word 'paternity' being used every bit much as 'maternity'. Nosotros should all feel able to talk as openly almost paternity benefits as we do about other company perks.

"Until that happens, the world of work will continue to represent a grossly unequal playing field."

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Maternity Cover In Ireland

According to the Citizens Information Board:

All female employees are legally entitled to 42 weeks' leave (just over 10 months) during and after pregnancy: 26 weeks paid and 16 weeks additional unpaid maternity leave, which begins immediately after the stop of maternity leave.
You must take maternity leave during the two weeks earlier your expected due date, and the four weeks after it
Employers are not obliged to pay women who are on maternity go out.
Rates of pay vary by employer and are specified in employment contracts, but the legal minimum rate of pay during motherhood exit is €245 per week, in the form of the Motherhood Benefit.

Source: https://www.everymum.ie/my-life/career/why-are-we-so-scared-to-ask-about-maternity-benefits-in-job-interviews