supervisor's question

May be just me but I think it is inappropriate for the supervisor to continually ask how long I plan I taking for maternity leave.

I am entitled to 1 year and have no clue how long I will be out. At first I thought it was to gauge work flow etc, but I have taken all necessary steps to prepare staff to assume my responsibilities.

Now, I just think he is being nosey. I orignally said a certain time period but may take the full year. Don't want to jeopardize my position if I say a year. Your thoughts are appreciated.

Re: supervisor's question

Is it possible that he has to fill out special paperwork w/HR to cover an extended leave & he just wants to make sure that it gets done correctly/on time?

Re: supervisor's question

No. I contact HR directly per procedure explained by them and only need to deal with them while I am out. Just perplexed. I think he is looking to see if he needs to transfer someone else to my position (which I know who he has in mind) and looking to put me elsewhere upon return. Ok, that is the paranoid me. LOL

Thanks though.

Re: supervisor's question

I was told with my last pregnancy that it;s illegal for a supervisor to ask you =how long you plan on staying out or when your coming back and that is something you need to only deal with HR with. I was told this so i;m not sure if it's true. But my supervisor never asked me

Re: supervisor's question

I would think your supervisor needs to plan for the time you are out. A year is a long time so if I were him/her I would want to start planning on how to cover your position.

My supervisor asked me and I thought nothing of it.

Re: supervisor's question

HI I think your supervisor is just trying to gauge the length of time you will be out of the office and who can replace you for that time. Just check to see the specifics if HR guarantees that you get the position you left or if you just get another position after being out for a year.
I learned that it has changed where i work and now if you are out you are guaranteed the job you held before you left indefinetly.

Re: supervisor's question

Re: supervisor's question

If they don't ask how can they know what they need to cover when u are out? Don't know how it can be illegal?

Re: supervisor's question

Re: supervisor's question

Ill be honest I dont know the legalities of it, but as a supervisor if I had an employee who planned to be out, the work still needs to get done and I need to have a plan in place. Theres a VERY big difference between taking 3 months vs taking 1 year... A year is a VERY long time...
And honestly thats the first I have ever heard that a job would allow a person to take that long on matnerity leave... EVER... The norm is 3 months and after that its what you work out with your department and/or supervisor THEN its discussed with HR. In my company the head of the department decides how long they are willing to hold your position until your return...

I think your supervisor has every right to ask you. I think you should be fair to your job, especially if they have always been fair with you and be honest with them about your plans.
Your supervisor may need to hire a temp to cover you while your out OR yes they have to have someone fill in for you while your out.
If you dont want to tell them because your paranoid youll be replaced well thats not really fair of you... I dont mean that rude, thats just my opinion... And if your willing to take a year off from a job then thats the chance your taking by leaving for that long in my opinion...

Re: supervisor's question

I had the same thing when I had my first. Both my (male) supervisors asked constantly about if and when I would returning to work. There was already a plan in place to cover my workload, and still the questions/comments remained.

I was specifically told by my HR person to not set dates or tell them I was definitely coming or not coming back, etc, in order to leave all my options open. Also because I was entitled to my 6 weeks paid leave whether I came back or not. I ended up leaving (which I pretty much planned on before hand), but was happy that if something had happened (like my husband losing his job) we were protected.

I agree with you that asking after a plan is already in place is unnecessary and puts pressure on you to give more information than you need to. It bothered me. If you continue to feel uncomfortable you should talk to HR again. They can lay out to your supervisors what information they can & can't ask you.

Re: supervisor's question

I too, am a supervisor, with an employee currently out on maternity leave. I never asked her how long she will be out and made accomodations for her work load to be assumed by my other staff members 2 weeks before she said she was leaving. I run several units with 10-15 staff in each.

I checked with my HR months ago, and was advised to deal directly with them as other posters were advised.

I checked again today and was advised a supervisor is not allowed to ask the question when a women is going to return from maternity leave.

I work for a great company with progressive leave alternatives which include FMLA which limits you to 12 weeks. I of course am opting for another plan of unpaid leave and they must hold my job up to a year. This does not mean upon my return, I go back to the same position but in the history of the company they have never not let a woman return to the same position.

I have already begun shifting job duties to my other supervisors and my boss is aware of this. I advised I was going to give a plan of who is doing what in my absence.

HR will now deal with the questioning since, again, he asked today. I reiterated all of the above to him about having others assume responsibilities. No response from him. I advised that the questioning is not allowed and he said Oh, I didn't mean anything by it just wondering....what did he think I would give him an exact date since I have no clue at this point and told him this.