Not returning to work after maternity leave - NHS

[Hortuslover]

Hi,
I just wondered if anybody who works for the nhs has ever not returned to work after maternity leave if the original plan was to go back.

I’m due back in June and seriously considering not returning as permanent staff but do bank for the flexibility?

If there is anyone, did you have to pay anything back and how much was it? Could you pay back in instalments?

Can’t help but I am following your thread closely. I am in the same situation.

I'd put up with not seeing each other until you've done the 3 months. Me.and dp do shift work in the NHS and are like ships passing in the night some weeks. It's shit but we have another choice.

Yes sorry should have clarified my point about extending leave was in order to maintain job role and not pay back maternity

My DH and I were ships passing in the night so I do understand the difficulty. (Not why the marriage broke up though)

Dh shifts would be set in stone, 4 on 4 off.
And because my work could be flexible (bank/agency) then it makes sense to leave my permanent role and work around his shifts. With agency, I’d be able to do shorter shifts, I wouldn’t in my permanent role.

I’ve emailed payroll and asked for figures on what would need to be paid back. I’m dreading the amount.

If will be all of the OMP that needs repaying.

I went back for just the minimum after my 2nd; took accrued leave and worked about 9 weeks. I'd already been part time but it was mutually agreed that I dropped to 50% and no OOH for my return. Now my situation was different as I was at the end of an SHO contract (pre-MMC changes), they had to extend my contract for me to return to work. But I would hope that if you discuss with your management and HR etc that there might be some flexibility to find a work pattern that you could manage for a short while. Good luck and best wishes sorting it.

Do you have any update @HortusLover?

If you go back on fewer hours (say 22), you still have the amount of annual leave accrued for your previous hours (36) so if you offset that against your notice period, you could leave sooner. You’d be a bit daft to pay it all back if there’s a way to work round it for a couple of months. Alternatively, they may be able to find you a more flexible or suitable role.

Not really. Payroll can’t give me the amount I will owe back so a bit in the dark in that respect. They haven’t answered my question on whether I can pay back in instalments either.
I could request parental leave as well as annual leave to help shorten the time to go back, otherwise I don’t really know what else to do. Childcare will be a nightmare.

Sounds really hard. I am in a similar position with my DH working oncalls randomly throughout the week as well as set days, it’s really hard to know when I could go back even with flexible working.

Just sat here having a longer think and the only possible solution I can come up with right now is taking 3 weeks parental leave on the end of my maternity, as by then dh will be allocated a place for work (can be anywhere within the county and won’t know until I’m pretty much due to go back) then return but take 12 hours a week annual leave which reduces my days down to 2 long days. By the time I’ve done my 3 months, I will have accrued enough annual leave to do the reduced days for 9 weeks.

Right now, we have no idea what shift pattern dh will be given, it could be anything up to being away from home for 72 hours at a time in any week.

They have to agree to parental leave though.