Stay signed off or job hunt whilst pregnant?

They’ve not actually put you on a PIP yet. Have a conversation with your manager about your workload and what is and isn’t doable. Going off on extended sick leave because your manager isn’t happy with your performance is such a poor work ethic.

Stay off sick

Definitely option 1. Even if you go back for a bit and they put you on a pip you will be able to ask for some accomodations and they will have to be cautious assessing you so they probably won't be able to manage you out before you finish for mat leave. Also they might not bother doing the pip process if they know you are going on mat leave soon.

There also might be a chance to negotiate getting enhanced mat pay and not returning if neither side want you come back.

At least you accrue holiday while on sick leave. You can use a full annual allowance including your bank holidays before you officially start mat leave too.

Job hunting when pregnant is utterly miserable and stressful too and honestly pretty unlikely to be successful. (I've had to do it when I was made redundant after announcing my pregnancy at work).

You may be “sure”, but you’d be absolutely wrong.

this is only true if there is any element of sacking her for being pregnant. Capability (non pregnancy related) or under performance (with evidence) would be valid routes to exit someone.

going off sick isn’t some sort of magic spell that protects you from HR processes.

They have to provide you the opportunity to work on the PIP so you’ve got a few weeks maybe up to 3 months to ‘prove yoursel’ by which time you’d be on maternity. I believe most company’s start your maternity leave for you if you’re sick at 36 weeks so 3 months or so? Stay on the sick a bit longer, go back, sick again and then start you’re leave

Imo your better off going back when your ready and being put on pip now while your pregnant. They will have a hard time sacking you even on pip with being pregnant
Get onto acas for some advice

I’m sure they couldn’t sack you whilst you’re pregnant whether you’re on a PIP or not. It might be wise seeing an employment solicitor to talk through your rights, or CAB if they’re useful.

Are you public or private sector

How do you know that being off sick for so long will be an option surely the gp won’t keep you signed off until July if you’re not actually sick?

I would keep the job if I can and do the maternity leave year, go back for the three months but be interviewing actively elsewhere at the same time (or even just before end of Mat leave) so that you can give your notice almost immediately - they won’t bother Doing a pip while you’re on notice period.

Stay off sick. I wouldnt normally advise this but in your circumstances its the best thing Imho. Especially with the large workload and toxic atmosphere.

Also, you likely won't qualify for SMP if you move jobs now as you need to have worked somewhere for 26 weeks by your 'qualifying week' - you my be able to get maternity allowance instead but that will be all.

I'd definitely try and stay at your current employer for as long as possible and look to leave after you've had your maternity leave.

I would stay off sick as long as possible and then start maternity leave, as others have said.

One thing to be aware of is I know that at my company if you are off sick for a prolonged period after a certain point in pregnancy (not sure how many weeks) then they can choose to put you onto maternity leave early, which obviously means you lose out after the baby is born as you might already used, say, 2 months of your leave before it even arrived because of this.

Not sure if that's just my company or whether it's a universal thing, but worth checking your company policy for that just in case as I'm guessing you'd want the max time off possible once the baby arrives.

Smart.

Pregnant women are always getting a bad deal. Do not feel bad, do what is needed for your and your baby’s best interests.

Let the put you on a PIP, you are leaving, why would you give a toot? Work out how to get the most out of them financially, work only your contracted hours, safe in the knowledge you are planning your exit. Emotionally detach from it all.

This.
If you go back then that might be taken as you saying you are now well enough to work and then they can hold your performance against you. If you stick to the fact that pregnancy is making it too hard to work, how can they possibly fire you? That would be a huge risk for them.

Don’t feel bad. Just get signed off until mat leave. They don’t deserve you to go in . Baby needs you unstressed.

Option 1. Fit note every two weeks. Then go on mat leave. Then go back to work for as long as you have to to get mat pay. Then leave. Or raise a grievance and try and get a severance or ND payment out of them. Make sure you get a reference too.

It’s a cash flow impact firstly as we have to pay and reclaim SMP, we then have to interview again, and employ and cover the role which is a costly process for a small team. We had to pay recruitment fees twice, train the replacement, and in the gap has to cover overtime.

it’s also a loss of productivity and knowledge, we than keep benefits pension and holidays accrual, manage return to work etc so the admin and HR bills.

For what was a small 5 person business it’s significant and not impossible but still has costs.

I employ women, I am a woman and I am a mum, so not moaning etc it’s just a giant ball ache when someone comes on board and has lied to you, it also erodes trust.

How did it cripple you? I thought it was the government that paid SSP and maternity pay?