Holiday pay if not returning?

[xteepeex]

I have tried searching for this but can't find a definitive answer, apologies if I'm repeating someone else's question.

As it stands I am taking my full paid mat leave ie 33 weeks, and returning to work after. But recently Dh has been saying he'd like me to have a full year with the baby. I would love this too, my mum was a sahm and I feel it's what I'd like for our child in its early stages.

My question is, if I go on mat leave with work thinking I will be back in 33 weeks but then hand in my notice so that I don't go back (I would do it a month before my return date) am I still entitled to the holiday pay I will have accrued (in my case April to October)? Would I be better going back to work for a short while then handing in my notice?

I know this is possibly not the most loyal thing but my job is stressful and my employer is not loyal in any way to its staff and tbh if I hadnt got pregnant I would be looking for another job anyway. It is not a practical place for me to be working with a child as the travel costs alone would make it cost more to go back to work than to stay home.

Any help is gratefully received, thanks for reading

 

[LPF]

You should be able to take what you have accrued once your mat leave ends, even if te in your notice period.

Have you received maternity pay from your employer? If so, you'll have to pay it back.

 

[KittiKat76]

All my girls who have taken mat leave and not returned to work have received their holiday pay in their final pay. It would be the same if you handed in your notice... You'd get any unused accrued holiday pay in your final pay packet.

 

[xteepeex]

Have you received maternity pay from your employer? If so, you'll have to pay it back.

I am only getting smp - surely I dont have to pay that back?

 

[KittiKat76]

No smp is government paid. You won't have to pay that back. Just any extra you get at the start. And only then if they have written and informed you of repaying it on non return to the company. Mine doesn't mention it anywhere. And I got a 30 page booklet!

 

[xteepeex]

And I got a 30 page booklet!

Ooh, thorough! I haven't had anything from my work at all... I finish in 8 weeks and apart from H&S meetings re lifting and other boring stuff like that I haven't had a single thing pregnancy related - hence the reason I'm assuming I will only get smp!!

 

[xxembobxx]

It is probably best to speak to your HR dept about holiday pay. Although the law says you should receive holiday pay it doesn't actually say that an employer has to carry it over to another holiday year.
Most women take their remaining annual holiday before mat leave starts and then tag the extra accrued at the end so they have a few weeks more with baby at full pay
You are entitled to a year off work and a company should assume you will be taking this unless you have stated different so you don't have to mention leaving.

 

[xteepeex]

Thanks, I'm taking the holiday I will have accrued in this holiday year (ours runs April-March) before my mat leave starts. I've worked out by the time I would go back/hand my notice in I would have accrued a further 15 days, which is 3 weeks pay, so I really want it!

Unfortunately we don't have an HR department, it's a weird setup but as we're part of a trust we have a mobile sort of system, and I know that if I asked my manager to arrange an appointment it would raise questions as to why, and she'd probably just say I should ask her.