Changing my job on return to work

[Maya18]

Hi everyone, we are trying to have a baby at the moment and i am currently looking at the options I have on return to work after the year of maternity leave. I am a travelling sales person and am responsible for sales in Eastern Europe. On return to work I actually don't want to travel anymore, so I don't know where this leaves me with what right I have to a job. Would I be eligible for a job or a similar wage an position, or by effectively not wanting my Jon do I leave it open to the company as to what job they find me I.e. lower salary and position?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, especially from sales people who have gone through this!

Thanks!!

[DragonMamma]

When you go on maternity leave, you have the right to return to your previous role, as it was, for the first 26 weeks of your leave.

In the following 26 weeks of maternity leave, they don't always have to offer you your substantive role back but the alternative can be no less favourable than your original role.

If you don't want to return to the job you were doing previously you essentially have two options -

Resign and find something else
Try and negotiate less travel, if practical for the job.

Your employer is under no obligation to find you a role that's more suited to what you want unfortunately.

[Maya18]

Eek that's what I thought.

It's going to be tough then!! If I slresign after maternity do I need to stay a certain amount of time in the job?

Thanks!

[afromom]

That all depends on your contract and what level of maternity pay you got. I'm not an expert but I think if you just got statutory maternity pay you can leave (although there may still be clauses in your contract about not working for a direct competitor for a few months). If you got more than statutory maternity pay, your contract will often say you have to return for a certain amount of time or pay the extra money back.
I'm not an expert but that is the gist of what various friends have told me about their jobs. I left after maternity leave to start a PGCE, with no need to continue for any amount of time.

[redhat]

Im an employment lawyer and that is correct. You have no right to change your job.