Moving and getting a new job while on maternity leave, has anyone done this.

[ElephantGrey101]

I am having a baby in December so will be starting my maternity leave soon. I am hoping to have a whole year off. We have decided that we are going to move to be near family which will mean I need to look for a new job. We will also be buying a house ( we have a big deposit but are currently renting). Has anyone else done this. I am trying to work out the logistics of it all.

Are you taking OMP or just stat?

I get enhanced maternity pay.

Bear in mind you may have to repay enhanced pay.

Assuming you will be getting a mortgage on your new home the lender will want a letter from your employer stating your salary and hours in return.

Timing in a new job will be tricky as they will expect you to start 1-3 months after an offer is made.

Buying a house and changing jobs on Mat leave certainly has added complications.

Does that not mean you'd need to pay some back if you don't return to work for a certain amount of time.

In my last maternity I did apply for another job and interviewed but wasn’t offered. What is worth considering is:
Do you have to pay back enhanced maternity pay if you leave within a certain time frame? Mine was 3 months.
Childcare. I am on maternity leave now again and have sorted nursery for DS2 for June. This might be tricky if you don’t know where you will be working/living.
Most employers would expect you to start within 1-3 months so it’s not worth applying at the start of your leave.

I actually got a new role with the same employer in the end and I’m still there now. Are there wfh roles or another site you could apply for?

I probably will have to pay back some maternity pay but it is not that much anyway. I can’t stay with the same organisation as they don’t have different locations.

You may be able to negotiate with a new employer to pay back the enhanced mat pay to your old employer.

I did this during my second maternity leave. Well, moved house 3 months before DC was born, then wasn't sure whether or not I would be going back as it depended on how many days per week they would let me wfh. (This was before Covid!).

In the end I resigned at the end of my maternity leave (luckily didn't have to repay the six months' full pay I got!). It was a bit stressful as it took me another five months to find another job, but it all worked out well in the end.