When Did You Go Back To Work?
I read that Rachida Dati, France’s Justice Minister, returned to work a mere 5 days after her daughter was born via c-section. Incredibly, she showed up for work in high heels and a beautiful business suit. In photos I’ve seen, she looks absolutely beautiful.
Her return to work has set of a fire storm of controversy, as can be expected. In France, according to reports, women receive 16 weeks of paid maternity leave. Here in the United States, women can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave if they work for a company that is large enough.
I returned to work 2 days after birthing my 4th child, mostly because I had no choice. I had a difficult pregnancy and had to take time off during the pregnancy because of health issues. I simply couldn’t afford to take any more time off. I do remember driving to work and thinking, “this probably isn’t the best idea”. I felt horrible, but you do what you have to do. In other pregnancies, I’d taken time off and found that my duties and accounts had been transferred to other workers during my absence. However, I was not given those accounts back upon my return.  I remember thinking that I was being penalized for having a child, and in retrospect, that’s exactly what happened.
Of course, we don’t know “the rest of the story” behind Ms. Dati’s early return to work. Was her return simply because she felt well enough to return to work, or did she have no choice but to return to work?
Whatever the reason, I wish Ms. Dati and her daughter the very best.
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Tina says...
I worked untill three days before my son was born and I returned about a week and half later. Where I work has less than 50 employees so I was not protected by the FMLA, and I like running water and food.