Not returning to work after maternity - advice needed please

[golcarlilly]

I have decided not to return to work after my 9 months maternity leave, do I just need to give my employer the usual one months notice before the end of my maternity period and will I be entitled to any holiday pay (all holidays at my work are fixed and so I will have missed four weeks holidays whilst I have been off)

Thanks in advance

 

[littleblonde]

I have to give my boss 4 week notice if i decide to return to work. You should be entitiled to any holiday as you still earn while you are off. However each place of employment may have different rules regarding this so would need to speck to someone there. I am only getting mat pay not pay smp or pay from my employer, i no had i of worked there longer the rules maybe different. Im not returning to work either. But keeping my options iopen just incase

 

[lisacaton1980]

Hi, not really a reply to your post (sorry) but I am also thinking of not going back to work after 9months maternity leave. My only concern is if we will be able to manage financially and I wondered what you were going to do.

 

[golcarlilly]

Hi, not really a reply to your post (sorry) but I am also thinking of not going back to work after 9months maternity leave. My only concern is if we will be able to manage financially and I wondered what you were going to do.

I don't have any family who could look after Myles so I would have to pay full time child care costs and since I don't earn that much i would basically be working to pay for childcare which is pointless! I didn't like my job all that much and really wanted to be able to stay home, I am going to get rid of my car as I won't need it for getting to work so that will save a lot and we will just have to budget where before we kinda just spent money like water !!!

 

[Abz1982]

You will need to give the same notice, and as you still accrue holidays when on maternity leave, you will be paid in lieu of any days you don't take, or you can chose to take them I believe.

 

[littleblonde]

Hi, not really a reply to your post (sorry) but I am also thinking of not going back to work after 9months maternity leave. My only concern is if we will be able to manage financially and I wondered what you were going to do.

Thats exactly like me. I dont have childcare help so i would be working to pay someone else to enjoy my baby which im not having. Plus i dont like my job and its a loing way away. Im considering working cioupke hours in evening or something if we need to and oh can have baby. But im also thinking we may get more if i dont. People manage because they have to. In a werid way i think i will spend less not working as will eat from home and be there to cook fresh and save money

 

[Vici]

es you will get holidays hun. Were you on a mat package from your work or just statuatory? I only ask as I have a good package and if i don't return to work then i have to pay back some (most) of my money!

 

[MrsRH]

es you will get holidays hun. Were you on a mat package from your work or just statuatory? I only ask as I have a good package and if i don't return to work then i have to pay back some (most) of my money!

yes check your contract or speak to HR as you may have to pay back earnings minus SMP. You may have to go back for 3 months to avoid this

xxx

 

[golcarlilly]

My stingy employers are only paying me SMP so there will be no probs there!

 

[Eelis]

Might be worth claiming your full years worth of maternity so you get some more pennies albeit not a huge amount but if you are not working at all then you get naff all anyway (I originally planned to go back after 6 months but once realised the cost of childcare I took the whole year off, at least had some money coming in each month even when it went to SMP). If you are entitled to a full year with no penalty then go for it. Maternity might have changed since I did it though so I might be out of date!


As for when you give notice - check your employment contract, your notice period will be in there, its exactly the same as if you were still working (usually it tends to be 4 weeks but it might be less/more depending on how long you have worked for them).

 

[golcarlilly]

You only get 9 months paid maternity leave so although I could still be on maternity for the full 12 I wouldn't gain anything

 

[MrsRH]

My stingy employers are only paying me SMP so there will be no probs there!

smp is still 90% for 6 weeks isn't it???
You might be asked to pay the difference back - SMP of £123 whatever it is minus tax and NI

 

[happygolucky]

Hiya
I was just the same getting smp so i got 9 months paid and took 3 months unpaid leave and handed my notice in just before that was up (2 weeks before).I know it's not much but I got an extra 5 days holiday which meant 5 days extra money:0) and you shouldn't have to pay anything back if you got 6 weeks 90% and 33 weeks smp.

 

[Eelis]

weird i got paid every month for 12 months, though it went down to not a lot near the end. Bah it was too long ago I cant remember properly what happened sorry heh!

 

[golcarlilly]

Hiya
I was just the same getting smp so i got 9 months paid and took 3 months unpaid leave and handed my notice in just before that was up (2 weeks before).I know it's not much but I got an extra 5 days holiday which meant 5 days extra money:0) and you shouldn't have to pay anything back if you got 6 weeks 90% and 33 weeks smp.

I didn't think you had to pay anything back either?! I don't want to mess them around by saying I am taking the additional leave (even though they weren't the greatest of employers!) so I am just going to hand in my notice a month before the nine months are up I think

 

[happygolucky]

It's whatever works best for you and you feel comfortable with but you shouldn't have to pay anything back:0)

 

[MrsRH]

Do I have to repay my maternity pay if I don't go back to work?
Some employers offer contractual maternity pay that can be better than Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and is something that trade unions can negotiate with employers. If you receive contractual maternity pay and you decide not to return to that job, you only have to repay it if it was agreed in advance or specifically stated in your maternity policy or your contract. In these cases, you only have to pay back the extra contractual pay, not the SMP part of your maternity pay.

Some employers offer enhanced packages to women, for example a lump sum of money once they return to work after maternity leave for a period of time. This is obviously not something a new mother would qualify for if she did not return to work after maternity leave. This is not an ideal situation for mothers, as they often need the money when they are on the leave, not once they have returned to work, but it is legal.


check your contract everyone before handing in your notice!!!!!