Questions re: not going back to my job after mat leave.

[Twister]

I know its really early to be thinking about it now as i'm only 8 weeks+5, but i want to be 100% clear on all my options so i can make an informed choice. I work in a supermarket and tbh I really am not enjoying it, it's causing me so much stress for various reasons and I'm seriously thinking about not going back after my maternity leave. I have discussed this with oh and he supports my decision what ever I decide to do.

The reasons I don't want to go back there are:
• the hours are impractical and it would be pointless me going back because pretty much everything I earn would go into childcare
• the hours are erratic and my manager is always amending the rota, adding hours and entire shifts on without asking or even telling me first, meaning there have been times where I've worked 6 days a week even though company policy states that employees are to work no more than five days unless the employee states otherwise
• I do loads of overtime without them asking (a friend who worked at another store under the same brand was ALWAYS asked if they could do overtime and they even had a book which you wrote in to tell them if you were available on what ever day)
• I'm feeling increasingly anxious about the job as a whole due to having bad experiences with rude and plain nasty customers, I hate confrontation and tbh I'm starting to think the job isn't for me.

I actually enjoyed this job when I started in October last year, it was when they bumped up my hours by loads and kept changing my shifts when it started to get tiresome. I'm so demotivated and just can't stand the place.

If I don't go back I plan on finding an evening cleaning job (they are always popping up in and around my area), when oh would be back from work so childcare wouldn't be an issue. He works full time and we would have no problems managing moneywise if I were to do this.

So my main question is would they want the smp they paid me back if I decided to not return to this job? And obviously I'd have to let them know beforehand that I wasn't going back right?

Any information anyone can give me about this would be a massive help. I don't know how I'm going to make it through the next few months as it is without cracking up, if I knew what my options were I think I'd feel a lot better about the situation. Plus if I could leave, then I could take my mat leave asap, as opposed to trying to work as late into the pregnancy as possible which I originally wanted to do although that idea is wearing thin now.

Sorry for rambling and typing such a long essay, I'd really appreciate some thoughts on this! Thanks for reading if you got this far.

 

[Gbobs]

You won't have to pay any SMP back only potentially any company pay they may pay you on top of SMP (for instance my company topped up my first 20 weeks to full pay so I'll have to pay back anything above the SMP I received for these 20 weeks).

As for when you would have to inform them you aren't going back, you would have to check that with your company. At my company I have to inform them no later than two months prior to my maternity ending.

 

[Twister]

Ahh yes because smp is government funded is that right? I don't think I'll get any top ups from the company but I'll have to double check.

And could I just tell them from the off that I plan on not returning?

Thanks for your help!

 

[tardiz]

I wouldn't. In case they do something to stop your pay or cause problems. I let my work know two months before my maternity ended and then never went back

 

[ArcaneSpark]

I think you only have to pay back the extra if stated in company policy. I would 2nd don't tell them until you need to as it gives you protection against redundancies etc and also you will carry on recieving any staff benefits as your still employed by them!

 

[babyblog]

Dont tell them now that you don't plan on going back! Just go on leave, at 29 weeks if you like then tell them near the end otherwise they could try to make life difficult for you !

 

[suzib76]

they cant make things difficult for you once you are on mat leave, they have to pay you and you dont have to see them. if you are absolutely 100% certain you dont want to go back i would let them know when you go off as this enables them to fill your position permenantley rather than having to hold it open for you just on case

 

[babyblog]

they cant make things difficult for you once you are on mat leave, they have to pay you and you dont have to see them. if you are absolutely 100% certain you dont want to go back i would let them know when you go off as this enables them to fill your position permenantley rather than having to hold it open for you just on case

I know of plenty of bosses who have made my friends lives difficult when it comes to maternity leave, even though you should be highly protected ! Of course it's up to you how you play it, but if you hand in your notice as soon as y leave you will be doing yourself out of a good few months annual leave entitlement and things. Depends what feels right for you I guess

 

[suzib76]

you still accumulate annual leave on mat leave even if you have said you wont be back as your official leaving date would be 9 months in the future, you are classed as employed for the period of mat leave whether or not you are returning

 

[Twister]

Thanks everyone I won't tell them I plan on not returning before I start mat leave and will find out how much 'notice' I'd have to give as well. Normally it's two weeks but I'd imagine it would be different when it comes to mat leave!

I'm going to start looking for cleaning jobs a few weeks before telling them so I'm fully prepared and will hopefully have something lined up so we don't have to struggle although we are saving a fair bit atm because we are living with my parents so even if I don't manage to get anything straight away we should be ok for a little while!

It just seems like the best option, I wouldn't be earning much less than I do now with my current job if I managed to find 10odd hours a week on a decent-ish wage and it will even itself out since none of it will be spent on childcare! Plus I'll get to spend all day at home with baby and oh would get a couple of hours quality time in the evenings. Win win really. Just hope it all works out or there abouts. Sorry for rambling again lol.

 

[sw121]

If your employer has an occupational maternity pay scheme then you will have to tell them at the outset that you don't intend to return. This is so they only pay you SMP and not the enhanced pay (that you would then have to pay back if you left). If your employer only pays SMP anyway then you don't need to tell them in advance. Your normal notice period applies during mat leave - so if you only normally have to give 2 weeks notice, then that's still all you have to give.

 

[Twister]

Oops forgot about this thread! Thanks sw121, pretty sure my company doesn't offer anything other than smp but will be sure to double check!