Do you have a work dilemma, career quandary, or are you facing challenges in the office? The i Paper’s work column answers readers’ questions with leading experts in careers and workplace psychology. Here, a worker trying for a baby is conflicted on whether to leave her job, which offers a generous maternity leave package - she gets advice from Victoria McLean. McLean founded careers consultancy City CV in 2008.

Worth it for the maternity leave package?

A reader asks: “I’ve been in my current job for a while, and honestly, it’s become quite toxic. The environment is draining, it’s really affecting my wellbeing, and I should leave. The problem is, my company offers a generous maternity leave package, and my partner and I have been trying for a baby. Part of me feels like I should just stick it out in this miserable job because of that. If I get a new job, it would likely make me happier, but as lots of companies require you to be employed for 12 months before qualifying for their maternity leave, I could end up relying on statutory pay when I’m currently entitled to much more. On the other hand, what if I stay and still don’t get pregnant? I’d have endured all that stress for nothing, losing valuable time in a healthier, more fulfilling role. So, I’m at a crossroads. Is it better to leave this job now and take the risk of finding a new role – but then getting pregnant, and not qualifying for maternity leave? Or should I keep my eye on the maternity leave prize – even if I don’t get pregnant tomorrow? What would you do?” (Photo: Mykola Sosiukin/Getty/iStockphoto)

Prioritise your wellbeing

Victoria McLean says: “This is such a painful dilemma, and one I hear versions of all the time. It’s that tug-of-war between doing what’s good for you now, and what might be good for you later… if certain things fall into place. I totally understand the temptation to stick it out in a toxic role if there’s a strong maternity package on offer. But if I’m being honest, I don’t think it’s worth it, not if you’re not pregnant yet, and not when the cost is your happiness, your mental health, and potentially your physical wellbeing, too. Staying somewhere that makes you miserable has a way of seeping into everything. It chips away at your confidence, it dulls your spark, it can make you feel trapped. When you’re already carrying the emotional weight of trying to conceive, that kind of stress can be so heavy.” (Photo: Helin Loik-Tomson/Getty/iStockphoto)

Stress and fertility

She continues: “There’s actually research that links job stress to reduced fertility: cortisol, the classic stress hormone, throws your whole system off, even interfering with the messaging in your brain that controls ovulation and your cycle. When your body is clogged with chronic stress, it’s literally working against the biology you want. I’m not saying that to scare anyone, but to remind women that stress isn’t just a mental load, it’s a physiological one, too. If you’re enduring a toxic environment that’s keeping you in that fight-or-flight state while you’re trying for a baby, it could get in the way of what you want most.” (Photo: DMP/Getty/E+)

Assess company policies

“Now, the maternity package side of this is understandably huge and no small consideration. In the UK, you’re entitled to Statutory Maternity Leave of one year from your very first day in a new job. And you can apply for Statutory Maternity Pay, which is 90 per cent of your average weekly earnings for the first six weeks and £187.18 for the next 33 weeks. You just need to meet the earnings threshold and have been employed for 26 weeks by the 15th week before your due date. If you don’t qualify, you can still apply for Maternity Allowance, which is £187.18 per week for 39 weeks. The requirement to have served a year before qualifying usually only applies if you’re hoping to access enhanced or contractual maternity pay, not your statutory entitlement. Enhanced or contractual maternity cover can vary from company to company, and is usually between 16 and 40 weeks of fully paid leave, depending on how generous your company is. A growing number of companies, like Deloitte, are also starting to offer this enhanced leave from day one of your employment, so you won’t necessarily miss out. Big companies like this tend to publicise their policies on their sites, so that could be a good way to frame your job search – to know that you’re applying to companies that offer enhanced leave to new starters.” (Photo: Diana Bagnoli/Getty)

Make the move

“So, if you were to get pregnant a little while into a new role, there’s a really good chance you’d still qualify for a form of paid maternity leave. That’s why if you are thinking of moving, it’s better to start sooner rather than later. If part of what’s holding you back is the worry that no one will hire you because you’re trying for a baby, or may have already fallen pregnant, let me reassure you: I advise HR a lot, and they tell me what matters most is whether someone is brilliant at what they do, not what stage of life they’re in. That’s not to say discrimination doesn’t happen (sadly, it still does), but there are plenty of organisations that will support you wholeheartedly, even if you join mid-pregnancy. You’re not choosing between security and happiness; you can have both, especially if you start early. Clients I’ve worked with often feel huge relief once they’ve made that move, because they’re not waiting anymore, or letting fear hold them back – they’re actively creating space for something better.” (Photo: Joe Giddens/PA)