LinkedIn advice - being temporary SAHM after voluntary redundancy

[LowlLowl]

Hello, not sure if this is the right place to ask for advice, but here goes!

As part of a work restructure whilst I was pregnant, my job was at risk - but actually I wasn't bothered as I'd been thinking about handing my notice in after my maternity leave anyway (long commute + 2 DC wasn't going to work!) So I opted for voluntary severance and got a decent package and all is well and good. However, I have two queries relating to LinkedIn which I could do with some advice on.

1. As part of my VS agreement I have to remove contacts relating to my old job from my LinkedIn network. I queried this, because the type of work I did was nothing to do with customers/clients, and there was no business I could steal from my employer (without going into detail and outing them, they have absolutely no competitors anyway!) I was told it was a standard clause, and didn't argue further. My solicitor recommended I just de-friended people at the end of my contract and then re-friended them the next day. This seems like a PITA, and will look a bit odd with my work contacts because (also as part of the VS agreement) I can't explain to them why I am doing it. Has anyone else been in this situation? Any advice?
   
   
2. I am going to be a SAHM for a year before starting to do some self-employed work in my area of expertise (or possibly get a job - I haven't quite decided). Obviously at the termination of my contract with my current employer I'll have to update my LinkedIn profile to say I no longer work for them, but I don't really want to broadcast my SAHM role to my work network (it's none of their business for a start!) and I certainly don't want to say I've been made redundant! Any advice as to what I could put on my profile to explain that I still exist but am out of action for a year?
   
   Thanks for reading - sorry this ended up a bit long.

[WhoKnowsWhereHerMajestyGoes]

Not sure about the first question (sounds like a PITA but do-able) but when I did similar I changed my status to "employed at Career Break".

[purplemunkey]

I took voluntary redundancy during my mat leave. TBH I didn't update my LinkedIn until I actually started looking for work again, months after technically leaving their employment.

When I did update before I got my new role I just updated my profile to a general description of what I do e.g. PR Professional (I'm not in PR, this is just an example).

I would not advise putting anything about being on mat leave or being a SAHM in your profile. I also wouldn't put that information on any applications you make when you get to that stage. When I started applying for things I referenced that I was coming off mat leave on covering letters etc and heard nothing. Once I stopped mentioning it and just left the gap on my CV with no explanation I started getting calls - this may be coincidence but I think not. Once I was in interview none of that mattered as its far easier to discuss experience and decision making face to face.

With regards to removing LinkedIn contacts I'd be inclined to ignore that - its a social network, I don't see how they can enforce a request for you to defriend people.

[Carrotpuree]

Tagging as I'm interested to see what other advice is given, in a similar situation.

[flowery]

1. I really wouldn't bother. If you're going to reconnect the next day there's no point, so the only question is whether the clause is enforceable and whether your employer will bother trying any kind of legal action to enforce it. In circumstances where you can't take business from them, therefore they will incur no financial loss, the answer is it's highly unlikely they'd bother to do anything.
   

1. Career break