Taking paid maternity leave if you know you won't go back?

[Blazinsquad]

DH and I currently live and work abroad but intend to return home in the next 1-2 years. We're also planning to TTC in the second half of this year. But given the timings, it makes the most sense that while I'm off on maternity leave I'll start planning to go back home and by the end of the leave, hopefully have everything sorted (including a new job in the UK) and ready to depart the country we're in now.

But part of me feels guilty for taking paid maternity leave when I'll actively be using the time to leave the job and country I'm in for good and have no intention of returning. Would it be more ethical to just quit outright and go back home to have the baby and stay there (but then have no pay at all), or should I just pretend that I'm only planning on having maternity leave off and nothing more? I'm worried people at work will ask questions about my intentions, given that they obviously know I'm not in my home country, and I'll just have to outright lie and say I'll be staying on. We could also wait to TTC until we go back home but that would push everything back much further as I'd need to stay in my new job for a while as I wouldn't want to start and get pregnant right away.

Anyone?

Honestly without knowing the maternity provision and law in the country you're in there's not much we can advise.

In the UK if you were planning this and then to go home to Canada for arguments sake then my advice would be to decline enhanced maternity pay and just accept SMP.

There's no ethical grey area there because you've earned SMP and are fully entitled to every penny (although it isn't much).

However you really are speculating about the unplannable. TTC isn't an exact science unless you and your DH are ultra fertile and can guarantee that the first time you try will be when you catch. Find out the law around maternity provision, who foots the bill and what your company policy around maternity pay is, then if you get pregnant exactly as planned you'll know where you stand legally. An ethical decision can be made after that point.

Are you entitled to maternity pay from whatever government you're under? Do you get enhanced maternity pay from your company? Do you have to pay anything back if you don't return?

Would depend on the country whether it's even legal what you're talking about. I'm in Canada and we get a generous maternity leave from the government (mine is around £22k) but it's contingent on remaining in Canada. If I was to move abroad payments would stop the day I left, or if I hadn't informed them they would attempt to claw it back via assets etc.

When I was on maternity, I got SMP and then a bonus when I returned to work. If I didn't come back I didn't get the bonus, and I had to stay at the company for a certain period of time, I think 2 years, otherwise you had to pay it back

But who is to say that you won't change your mind? Or that you won't conceive when you plan to? I'm not raining on your parade, sending positive vibes your way, but I'm just pointing out that theoretically you aren't doing anything wrong because you yourself can't be sure of your intentions so far in the future. A baby changes everything and there is no obligation to return to your of job after leave. Just do whatever is best for you and your family as long as it is legal.