What would you do: pregnancy/maternity/workplace bullying/new job

[Whisky2014]

Info: Been in new job since Sept, good salary but long commute, I don't like the job very much and I'm also being targeted by a girl which I have gone to HR about but I know it will make situation worse (first day back tomorrow after emailing them before xmas).
I am 6 weeks pregnant and I think with my due date I would be eligible for the company maternity pay which is full pay for 20 weeks.
I have just interviewed for a job half the distance away and it's a level above what I have been doing.
If I got the offer I obviously have to tell them in pregnant (although maybe would wait a month) but I definitely wouldn't get an enhanced package and they could try to get rid of me citing poor work since they can't use me being pregnant as a reason.

What would you do in my shoes? Stay at shitty company for 8 months with long drives, crappy work and a hostile environment to get the maternity pack or take a chance at new job, SMP and the risk of losing said job if they are unhappy with my situation?

Can you afford to survive if you only get SMP? Because if not, there is no choice.

I'd go temping. I'd not join a new company pregnant.

Whilst nothing your existing company can do , they aren't going to be over the moon that their new recruit is pregnant so soon. Within two years they don't need a reason to dismiss so you're not much safer anyway. They can't dismiss for pregnancy but can for other reasons.

We could survive on husbands salary and SMP, yes.
I know what you mean thebigbang but this is a very large oil and gas company so I'm not sure if they would try to get rid of me for being pregnant.

Stay where you are. Presumably you have to give at least a months notice if. It not more so by the time you start new job you’ll be at least 4 months gone if not more.

Barely time to even take your coat off in the new role before finishing plus I dont think you’d qualify for mat pay there (even just SMP) and would possible have to apply for the mag allowance. Something to he absolutely sure of first.

The only way I’d start in a new role at a new company is if I was able to assure them
I planned to take a short mat leave and do would be back within 6months of finishing.

As for current job. Long commute well you were fine with that when you took it, towards the end of your pregnancy you can always negotiate to work from home.
The bully, don’t accept anything other than a resolution from HR.
BUT I would strongly consider telling them you are pregnant this week. As you’ve only been there a short while it could be decided that it’s easier to just let you go than go through disciplinary with her so get the extra protection that pregnancy disclosure affords you.

Beware that of you stick out the current job and get your company maternity pay you may well then have to return to that job for a certain length of time afterwards or repay it so it’s not just the 8 months you’ll be there. That said, the CMP vs stat maternity is likely to to be a lot of money if you are in oil and gas so it really depends just how unhappy you are in the current role.

Hi there is no clause in the policy stating u have to return for x amount of time or repay the money
Yes, I was fine fine eith the commute. I still am but its a bonus to only do half the commute if i got offered this new job.
I feel absolute dread about work. It would be about £10k worth but I am miserable

What DrWhy said! I'm currently off on mat leave but have to go back to my previous role for 8 months (8 months at 3 days pw or 5 months FT) when I return to work or I have to pay all the money back that I received above SMP. If I go off sick or anything and so my return date is delayed then that 8 months doesn't start until I'm actually back at my desk so there really is no way out of it. If you like the job then stay and get HR to sort out the bully. If you hate the job and can afford to just have SMP then leave and return post mat leave to a job that you actually want to do closer to home.

There definitely is no clause to say I have to come back. But it also states they can change their policy at any time.
I know I won't get maternity pay from new place (if i even get the job) but we can survive on the maternity allowance + husband salary

I started my new job pregnant. I told them at the interview so they knew what they were getting into! It wasn't a problem and they were great about it.

It's not always an issue for all employers.