With less than 2 more months of work ahead of me, it’s suddenly struck me that come November, waking up and typing away on my laptop will be a thing of the past and I’ll be swapping my Mac for a mini-me. I haven’t set a time period for maternity leave, I plan to play it by ear with the intention of taking at least 4-6 months off. Without access to Statutory Maternity Pay, it’s often the case that freelancers take off significantly less time than those who work for an employer. With so much to do before the baby arrives, decorating the nursery, buying all the baby essentials and generally being the Queen of indecisiveness (I currently have 6 different wallpaper samples sellotaped to my walls), I’ve barely given maternity leave a second thought. Pregnancy truly is like living in a bubble and with a new baby comes so many things to consider, introducing contraception back into your life, saying hello to periods again at some point, the minefield that is breastfeeding and the pressure that comes with it not to mention trying not resent your husband when his body doesn’t look like a deflated balloon and that finding time to wash his hair isn’t like something out of the krypton factor. My due date is under 7 weeks away and I’m currently knee deep in a 30-page Maternity Allowance form. *send cake*
As a self-employed freelance writer and blogger, maternity pay and taking time off isn’t quite as clear-cut as it is for those who work for an employer. Paid leave just isn’t a thing so I thought I’d whip up a little post for anyone else in the Freelance world who is trying to navigate the minefield that is making it through maternity with as little financial stress as possible. Not only that, I’ll let you in on my plans including when I plan to tell my clients about my maternity leave, when I’m planning to wind down on the work front and what my re-entry to work will look like. Am I worried that I’ll have no clients left upon my return? Yes, but I’m hoping that by keeping them well informed I can make the transition into maternity leave with minimum stress for both my clients and myself.
Let’s talk about money. Firstly, the great news is that while you don’t get full pay for any number of weeks, you do get a Maternity Allowance for up to 39 weeks. *applauds* Before you fill in the claim form, you will need to get a MATB1 form from your midwife. You can start claiming when you hit the 26-week mark and you can find out if you are elligible here. If you pay class 2 national insurance, it’s likely that you are. And what will you be entitled to? £145.18 a week that is usually paid into your bank account fortnightly. Ok, so we won’t be eating pricey lunches at the Ivy every week but you’ll be pleased to know this money is tax free. As a freelancer, one of the many perks is being able to control your income month by month and having to rely on a set amount that is a lot less than your usual monthly income is quite a scary thought. For this reason, it makes sense to have a little back up stored away. Three months worth is a great start if you can. Or work a few extra hours before you go on leave to give yourself a safety net once on leave.
Ok so what about clients? I told my clients around the 6 or 7-month mark. I gave clients the option to have the work completed in bulk ahead of time so they can distribute the content on their blogs on a monthly basis. This meant in some cases completing six months of blogs in one go. This saves my clients the hassle of finding another freelancer to fill my position but also made sure I didn’t miss out on any income. This does, however, mean that my last month before the baby is due might not be a winding down month as planned.
There is no set time to go on maternity leave. Many freelancers aim to work right up until the due date but this will, of course, be dictated by how you feel and your own individual pregnancy. I plan to work as long as possible but I have put a cut off date in place to ensure that I’m not still firing off invoices during labour. The last week will be dedicated to chasing up any outstanding payments and tieing up any loose ends.
My ideas on returning to work are a little hazy as I have no idea how I will feel, no solid ideas surrounding childcare and no clue on what it feels like to be a first time mum but I do plan to be realistic about the whole thing. My first month back at work will probably be spent scoping out new clients and getting back into the swing of pitching for work and remembering how to write again. If I go back to work at the 6 month mark, I can give myself a grace period to get back up to speed.
Are you a freelancer facing maternity leave? Leave me a comment with your plans!
