Seeking Advice

I am currently 18 weeks pregnant and contemplating getting a new job. I’ve been with this company for almost 2 years and there have been some unforeseen new changes. Starting January of 2025 my health benefits will cost nearly $700 a month and is a high deductible plan, meaning all of my appointments will have to be paid out of pocket until the deductible of $6000 is met. The other available plans with low deductibles would have cost me $900 a month for my family. it’s a joke considering I work for a company that is well known within the health care industry and completing genetic tests for patients The advice I’m seeking is, would it be a bad idea to start a new job so I can be somewhere where the benefits are better and cheaper. I’m apprehensive considering I am going on 5 months pregnant and may be losing an opportunity for longer paid leave. Just wondering what others would do if in my situation. TIA for any advice EDIT/UPDATE: I reside within California 🩵
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The only issue is that you may not get an maternity leave. But it does seem like you should eventually move away from that nonsense!

That’s crazy! I would DEFINITELY try to find a new job but I would look into their health plans as well as see if you’d get paid maternity leave or even unpaid. If the money you would lose by taking an UNPAID leave is less than how much it’ll wind up costing you to pay outta pocket for the remainder of your pregnancy (keeping in mind appointments are only going to get more and more frequent) I’d say go for it. But if changing jobs would cause you to lose more than you’d wind up paying for appointments then I’d say wait til after your maternity leave is over to find a new job. But either way, whether you do it now or after your leave, I would DEF look for a new job. Best of luck to you love! And prayers 🙏🏼❤️

I’ve worked in finance and as a recruiter so I’m not an HR professional but I have some general info. First of all, I would post your state here to get better advice because that can change things a lot. There is no harm in interviewing for a new job. It’s illegal for anyone to ask you if or about pregnancy. Tell the HR dept (not hiring manager) you would like all of the details for health insurance and mat leave early in the interview process and they can’t ask you anything or say anything to the hiring manager. If they ask why that is important to you say your previous company had large out of pocket healthcare costs and leave it at that. New companies might have a rule where you have to work there for 6 months etc before receiving their full mat leave benefits so check that. Explore your state Medicaid benefits before you do anything as a back up plan. Understand what is covered, if it will change your doctors, your delivery hospital…all of that could easily change.

I would first be honest with your manager at your current job and tell them you are disappointed and your family cannot afford this, and ask if there is an opportunity for you to obtain a spot bonus or raise in 2025 to cover this difference or you might have to explore other opportunities. You might be surprised they don’t want to lose you and do it. That would give you more time. Then I would definitely interview bc it won’t hurt. But honestly, it will be very challenging to find a new job that won’t change your medical team so you might likely end up not changing due to that. Best of luck, so sorry you are in this situation.

I am 20 weeks and i am in the same boat today i even contemplated starting to look for a new job now but i considered all of the factors in my case its not the insurance it’s that i was hired as a remote employee and they are rescinding all remote employees and having them come back into the office because they decided they did not want remote anymore and in my personal case i decided to stay until my maternity leave and then use that time to find something permanent

As someone else said, I’d check how soon after hiring would those medical benefits and maternity leave be available to you. It seems to be different for every company.

You will get maternity leave of 6 weeks if you push and 8 weeks if you have a c section. You will have to go back soon as the doctor clears you. You won't be paid at all for that leave of absence if you leave that job. Not a lot of jobs hire when your almost due! Why hire someone that isn't gonna be there when they need someone now. I would stay until you have the baby then apply for another job while your at home with baby then give your 2 week notice then leave to the other job.

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