Urg Bloody HR

[Barbles]

Just had a meeting with my boss and a manager regarding maternity stuff they have to go over.

One thing they they do here which is good is they give you benefits such as full pay for the 1st 6 weeks and then SMP plus half your pay for the next 12 weeks after that then until 39 weeks you get SMP. SO bonus I have a lot more money than I was expecting.

BUT if you do not return to work after your maternity which I wasnt planning to you have to pay the halp pay back. so Urg!! You have to work at least 26 weeks after maternity not to pay it back.

I asked if I could just have the SMP instead of the half pay on top as it only amounts to an extra £45 a month as I work part time so I wouldnt have the pressure but you cant.

So now my plans are all buggered!! Im just going to have to save the extra money each month to pay back the college, grr.

 

[CeeCee2010]

Surely thats not legal? Have you checked the government website to check? I think you must at least have the option of not taking the extra pay or indeed not having to pay any money back! Don't know if this helps but this is the link for the gov website

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parent...amilies/Pregnancyandmaternityrights/index.htm

 

[spring_baby]

fx that no emergencies present themselves so you can save to give them the money back, on a consolation stick it as little as it is in an isa so u earn a good ish percentage on the money yr saving not that we have a fantastic interest rate for savers at least isa is tax free and it will give a little back to you when u have to pay it back xx

 

[jenfen]

That doesn't sound right. My company gives exactly the same benefits and I am going back to work after ML so I'm ok to have the extra pay, but you can opt out or ask for it to be held back if you haven't yet made a decision...

J x

 

[Barbles]

Well thats the thing, we have made the decision that I will be a SAHM as with childcare for two of them etc, it will make more sense for me to stay home but I havent told work this as we dont know what situation we will be in next year so I may have to come back to work if things aren't looking as good. But I would rather lose the 45 quid and know I can leave with no worries. Im going to sit down and work out the figures, hopefully it will be do-able.

 

[Kate83]

my old work gave you a maternity 'bonus' but if you left within 6 months you had to pay all of the bonus back and if you left within 6 months you paid 50% back. id rather of jsut not got it, or let them pay me at the end of the 1st yr. I ended up paying it all back as i hated the company and couldnt wait to leave.

 

[littleblonde]

Where i worked you could opt out of the extra money to. I would speck to citizens advise. That dont sound right to me either

 

[capricorn1]

I have something similar - have to go back for 3 months or have to pay back all the additional maternity pay. But there is a section on the maternity leave application form I was given if you are not intending to return to work - I think if you check this you wouldn't get the additional pay in the first place. I would double check with HR that you can't opt out.

Otherwise I'd be inclined to (as a couple of posts have said) take the extra money and put it away so that all going to plan you don't go back andit's just sitting there ready for you to pay back and if for whatever reason you do have to go back to work, you haven't burnt any bridges and you have a wee pot of money stashed away for a rainy day