Does everyone know when they are going on maternity?

Angel3130 · Sep 27, 2011 9:39AM

I'll be having my maternity talk with my line manager next week so will she be asking me then when I intend to leave? I was thinking leave at 36 weeks and then save all my year's hols (mine run Jan - Dec) and take it as holiday pay when I hand my notice in at the end of the year (hopefully!) I'm not sure if I could take any holidays before my maternity with it being the beginning of the year.

Anyone else decided?? :?

cheekychops10 · Sep 20, 2011 7:59AM

I've mentally decided on 14th Feb (I only work the first half of the week). I was never pushed for a date the first time round, but I suppose if you have a date in mind you could say depending on how I feel this is when I intend on finishing...

Your work could be different, but I have to return to work for a minimum of 3 months or pay back my maternity pay and it does not allow for holiday to be used as the 3 months. Although I suppose I could go back for a day and then commence my holidays LOL!

Angel3130 · Sep 20, 2011 8:02AM

We do get 100% of our wage for the first 6 weeks but I havent read anywhere that I have to go back or cough up! Do you get a more than average maternity package cheekychops?

loops26 · Sep 20, 2011 9:08AM

I have mentally decided on 17th Feb to be my last working day then providing we come back into the same sort of contract or an extension of it we get 15 weeks full pay then the next 24 at SMP which will be my 9 months and take me up to end of november then we are allowed to take our holiday that we have accrued at the end of it which will take me up to the beginning of january following year however like cheekychops we also have to return to work for a month or we have to pay the 15 weeks full pay back which we got at the start but i plan to return to work for 3 days a week anyway and have the grandparents look after our LO

Ruth77 · Sep 20, 2011 2:52PM

My last working day will be 9th February when I will be 36+2, then it's half term - I'm a teacher - so my maternity leave will start officially on 20th February when I will be 37+6.

I'm taking the full year - when I go back I will just be doing 3 days & with our nursery costs I will be earning around ??300 a month!!! Not worth working for & definitely not worth rushing back for, but I couldn't be a SAHM, although with the way my employers are being right now that may change. I too would either have to work 13 weeks (I think it is) or pay back everything other than my SMP, think that's a pretty standard rule unfortunately.....

Roll on February

LoobyLou_no3 · Sep 20, 2011 3:50PM

Hi ladies, my plan of action is as follows!

I currently only work 2.5 day per week at the mo so was planning on taking annual leave for two weeks at half term in Feb then starting my maternity after that, at the start of March. If I still have a job! I am planning to return after the 9 months paid maternity leave and take my accrued annual leave, our holidays are April to April, then going back to work Jan / Feb.

We are being restructured at the moment and have been told that our team will be cut and people will be made redundant. Fingers crossed I will keep my job!

Sjw1984 · Sep 21, 2011 3:58AM

Gosh I feel like I'm leaving late - my dd is 15/3 and I plan on leaving 9/3! I work in retail so I don't want go back at Christmas so I will go back in jan when it's all calmed down again! I don't know if I can do that annual leave thing!! I didn't know I still accrued it during mat leave!!

I do have to go back to work for 3 months though!!

Angel3130 · Sep 21, 2011 4:05AM

Yes you do accrue your hols in maternity Sjw

cheekychops10 · Sep 22, 2011 9:02AM

Angel3130 no I don't get any extra mat pay, none at full pay

I work for a local council. I shudder to think how little my mat pay will be this time based on 20hrs as opposed to full time last time

AnnikaSkoog · Sep 22, 2011 9:07AM

oh does mat pay depend on your hours? I thought it was just a standard minimum or same as your pay.... whichever is less type of thing. ie you shouldn't really be much worse off than when at work if you are part time?

How is it calculated then, anyone know?

Dxxx · Sep 22, 2011 9:50AM

I feel Soooooo lazy now. Im looking at leaving at xmas at 29 weeks. I wont be returning to work so thought I would leave as soon as possible.

I run a unit for adults with challenging behaviour, and am already suffering from SPD (Was told to wait 2.5 years before I even thought about having another baby, but smart me decided 11 months gap would be good, suffering now)

I go back to work full time next week, being a bit naughty and have gone back full time, so my mat pay etc is all at higher rate. it will be a struggle going from 2 days a week to 5, but I must remind myself its only for 3 months. xxx

Angel3130 · Sep 22, 2011 10:46AM

Cheeky chops I didnt think they could make you pay it back if you didnt go back if they only paid you the statutory??

cheekychops10 · Sep 22, 2011 12:57PM

No I don't think you have to pay statutory back- but I guess that depends on who's pot that comes out of, I get occupational too.

-AJP- · Sep 22, 2011 1:12PM

Saving up holidays days prior to taking maternity leave makes a lot of sense however, by law you must start being paid maternity pay from birth. So if your holiday run Jan to Dec you could lose part of your annual holiday entitlement if you leave it too late and your employer does not allow holiday to be carried over (or untaken holiday paid).

SMP does not have to be repaid.

LuleeW · Sep 23, 2011 9:41AM

This was easy for me as my EDD is only 4 days different from DD's, just two years later! I'm going off from end of Feb till beginning of Jan, slightly less than last time, but DH was away for four months at end of the year so we wanted to spend Jan together while he has leave.

I'll be using hols up until I actually drop, and then using hols again for whole of Dec, but not actually going back till Jan. I think I'm going to drop my days from 4 to 2.5 or 2, depending on what my jobshare wants to do, and how it works out financially. DD's free nursery kicks in 3months after I go back, but that's all I have to do without having to pay back enhanced mat pay, so I may end up leaving altogether. x

sophiejbutt · Sep 24, 2011 4:50AM

still not sure what i want to do yet. Will probably leave at the end of Feb but not sure how long I want to stay off and if we can afford it. get quite a good deal in teaching for 39 weeks so that makes end of Nov but that is also in the mikddle of a term so probably end of Oct would be best. I was even thinking of going back in sept but officially going back at the end of July so I get full pay during school hols but not sure what to do. I need to discuss goign back on a part-time basis too, that's if they will let me job share? I think they will as headteacher does so she will understand hopefully. Couldn't do my job full time and be a mum.

Sorry for long post.

Any advice?

LuleeW · Sep 27, 2011 8:13AM

Hi Sophie - I know what you mean about full time working and being a Mum. I dropped to four days a week just before I had DD, and I've stayed like that since I came back, but I find it very hard, even with a Wed off with her. I do miss her, and I feel I'm missing out on loads as there's only so much I can do with her on one day! I'm hoping to be able to drop to 2.5 or 2 days when I come back, and am seriously considering leaving after three months once I've fulfilled my contractual obligations for my enhanced mat pay. All comes down to finances though doesn't it? Although, childcare for TWO eats up so much of my wages, I'm fairly sure we'd be better off just claiming extra benefits...which is sad really, it shouldnt be that way! x

Eyper · Sep 27, 2011 9:39AM

I was pushed for an estimated date when I first told them I was pg and I said mid feb but my edd has now moved forward a week. I will do the same as last time, start official maternity leave at 38 weeks and use up my year's holiday entitlement before that. My dd was born at 38 weeks, so my official mat leave very helpfully started on her birthday. I've also got 2 weeks' worth of annual leave to roll over from this year (I was on mat leave until June, so they love me as you can probably imagine!) so that will give me 7 weeks annual leave, plus flex leave (time in lieu of overtime). So if I've worked it out right I can finish at 31 weeks! Goodness, that's the end of Jan, so soon!!!

Does everyone know when they are going on maternity?

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