Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Do I have to tell in job interview I'm currently on maternity leave?

61 replies

Iworry2021 · 10/04/2021 07:58

Hi everyone,

So I'm currently on maternity leave, due to come back in August.

I want to leave my company and didn't put on my CV that I'm currently on maternity leave, as I read online, that you don't have to point out on your CV that you were on maternity leave.

Yesterday I had an interview that went really well and I might progress to the next stage if I'm lucky.

I didn't mention to the HR lady that I'm currently on maternity leave as it wasn't on my CV either.

I have serious doubts today if I did the right thing and if is can work against me if they find out.

Can anyone give some advice? x

I'd like to add that my old company put my job at risk as well, so I most likely will lose my job and I really need a new job otherwise we might face a financial disaster. I just didn't want to mention that I was on maternity leave in case there was conscious or subconscious discrimination against that (e.g. "oh, she has been out of work for almost a year", "oh, she has a small child,how will she cope?")

OP posts:

Hfjshdhs · 10/04/2021 08:44

I’m in exactly the same position as you. I absolutely wouldn’t say that I was on maternity leave. You are still employed by your company. You haven’t been untruthful at all.

chocolatesweets · 10/04/2021 08:49

I would just because I like to be honest about myself and who I am but you don't have to. They might be able to support you when you start with them.

TheWaif · 10/04/2021 08:52

But won't you have to pay your maternity pay back if you don't return to your job?

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

Families Jobs

ChristinaYang10 · 10/04/2021 08:53

I got my current job while on mat leave and didn’t mention it at all. But I had a three month notice period and got the job pretty much exactly 3 months before my mat leave ended. (I think technically I would have had to go back to my old job for a week, to make it up to three months, but they waived that)

Averyhungrycaterpillar · 10/04/2021 08:54

I had an interview while on maternity leave and started after my notice period. I’d put my reason for leaving my old job as change in circumstances on my application form and was asked about this at interview. I told them that I’d had a baby, was on maternity leave etc etc and they were absolutely fine about it, asked about baby etc. I think if you want to tell them, then do, if not it’s not a problem, you’re still employed you’re just on statutory leave

Disfordarkchocolate · 10/04/2021 08:56

It's none of their business. You are employed, that's all they need to know.

Frazzled2207 · 10/04/2021 08:57

Op if you get through to the next stage I would just email them a “just to be clear” message and I don’t think it will be a problem

Yes some companies will (wrongfully) discriminate if you have small children but the same companies would probably discriminate if they thought you were of childbearing age. Putting aside the wrongness of all that it’s definitely better to have just finished maternity leave than potentially start one very soon after joining. Have read many threads on here about people applying for jobs when pregnant which is a far greyer area.

Do you have childcare potentially sorted? Be prepared to be asked about this

Frazzled2207 · 10/04/2021 08:58

@TheWaif

But won't you have to pay your maternity pay back if you don't return to your job?

If you got enhanced mat pay then you may need to. It just statutory I don’t think you will.

KoalaOok · 10/04/2021 08:59

It won't matter as long as you start when you said you would and don't turn round now and expect to finish your maternity leave then start.

KoalaOok · 10/04/2021 09:00

It's just the same as if you were on annual leave or sick leave

Martinisarebetterdirty · 10/04/2021 09:04

I would absolutely not tell them. It is nothing to do with them and unfortunately you may well be discriminated against. Good luck and I hope you get it!

WeatherwaxLives · 10/04/2021 09:04

If you're prepared to start a month after a job offer then you've done the right thing. It would only be a problem if you were intending to be off for longer than the notice period you've told them.

I hate being dishonest, so when I was being made redundant and interviewing for jobs I was open about having a toddler when they asked things like what I do in my spare time / interests / why part time would work for me. Stuff like that. Didn't bring it up myself but if they asked, I told them. Interviews that went well up to that point suddenly got wound up quickly. A compliment on my engagement ring in one interview became a 'are you getting married soon? Any plans to have children?' So the next interview I didn't wear my ring, and I didn't mention DD.

I was offered the job.

Original poster

Iworry2021 · 10/04/2021 09:06

@ChristinaYang10

Did they ever raise an eyebrow and question your P60? 🤔

OP posts:

iwannascream · 10/04/2021 09:07

The new company would have no need to see your P60, and your P45 has 3 sections, only the 1st section has your salary on, which is your copy to keep. Sections 2 and 3 are what you give to your new employer.

GoWalkabout · 10/04/2021 09:08

I think you have done the right thing to avoid discrimination and that's probably increased the odds of success. I would mention it when accepting the offer only.

Bluntness100 · 10/04/2021 09:09

Op if you get through to the next stage I would just email them a “just to be clear” message and I don’t think it will be a problem

I’d not do this, really I’d not. Don’t make it a big deal it is not and shouldn’t be. It’s irrelevant.

Original poster

Iworry2021 · 10/04/2021 09:12

Just to be clear, my old company put my job at risk as well.

My plan is the following: if I'm lucky and get that 2nd interview, I will have to do a 3rd and final interview after that.

If they invite me for the third interview and it gets to that stage where I'm closer to getting the new job, I will email my old company and propose to them that I'm willing to accept my redundancy and that we don't have to do the redundancy consultation, if they make me redundant straight away and pay me my redundancy pay straight away.

That way I won't lose out on my redundancy pay, whether I get the new job or not.

If I wait until they make me an offer, I would have to resign from my old company and possibly lose my redundancy pay.

I don't think I have to pay back enhanded maternity pay if I'm being made redundant x

OP posts:

Frazzled2207 · 10/04/2021 09:15

Yeah if you are made redundant I don’t think they can take mat pay off you.

TheWaif · 10/04/2021 09:18

Yes but you aren't being made redundant if you jump in beforehand and resign? It's a nice idea to tell them you want to be made redundant right now and have the money right now but you're actually just resigning and asking them to pay you for it?

I don't think that's how it works!

ChristinaYang10 · 10/04/2021 09:19

[quote Iworry2021]@ChristinaYang10

Did they ever raise an eyebrow and question your P60? 🤔[/quote]
They definitely didn’t question any paperwork I provided, I work for a very large company now and I think it was sent off to an hr office somewhere and nothing was mentioned to me. I’m not sure I ever had to tell them my current salary while applying anyway so whatever details were on whatever paperwork I sent wouldn’t have contradicted anything I told them.

If my manager was annoyed I didn’t mention it in interview she never showed it. I work in a team of 6, plus my manager, and when I started two of the other women were on mat leave, and one other had young children and was working flexible hours due to childcare, so it’s a child friendly team.

Original poster

Iworry2021 · 10/04/2021 09:32

@TheWaif

I don't think that's how it works!

I think it would work in favour of my old company though, because it would save them time that they don't have to spend on lengthy redundancy meetings. It would also protect them against claims for unfair dismissal/pregnancy discrimination

OP posts:

TheWaif · 10/04/2021 09:35

No, they would definitely rather not pay you redundancy pay. They're really very unlikely to do this. Why would there be any claims of unfair dismissal if you're resigning? I'm pretty sure they also have to go through the meetings etc, so it's probably not even possible.

Throwntothewolves · 10/04/2021 09:36

Frazzled2207 'Do you have childcare potentially sorted? Be prepared to be asked about this'

I'd be very surprised if they asked about this as it potentially amounts to discrimination to do so.

In fact I know a woman who raised a grievance over this having been asked that very question in a promotion interview, then finding out other male candidates with children were not asked this at all.

Original poster

Iworry2021 · 10/04/2021 09:40

@TheWaif

But I won't tell them at this point I'm close to getting another job and that I will be resigning.

I just tell them I would prefer not to do the redundancy meeting and if they could make me redundant straight away.

I think they would prefer this as well. A lot of other people that were made redundant this year raised lots of grievances and claims and the company had to fork out a lot of extra money to pay them off.

OP posts:

TheWaif · 10/04/2021 09:42

Well.. good luck! It's a massive gamble!

Flip

1 2 3