to keep quiet about new job until after maternity leave?

[justabigdisco]

I am in a job which I dislike. I am due to go on Mat leave in a few months, and was planning to have 6 months off and then go back (although have said to them that 6 months is not definite, I have said I am coming back)

however in the last few days I have been approached (very early stages) about another job, which wouldn't actually come about until next year at the earliest. They know I am pregnant and they are happy to wait for me. It could be described as my 'dream job'. Don't want to go into any more details in case I am recognisable.

AIBU to keep quiet, take my mat leave, and then resign from current job as soon as I go back, seeing out my notice and then leaving? If I resign during mat leave then I will have to pay back the mat pay.

Or could I tell them while I'm on mat leave that I have found another job, but am happy to come back and work the notice period to 'pay back' the mat pay? Perhaps this is better than telling them when I go back, as gives them more notice?

I know I need to look out for myself and our new baby but it feels a bit sly to not say anything for so long.
Thoughts please?

I second not saying a word until everything is set in stone and you are your notice period away from your start date in your new job. If the job isn't going to start until next summer, you've got lots of time to go and return from mat leave, then just resign like anyone else would, ML or no ML.

I agree that this is really not a maternity leave issue as nothing is set in stone, so ignore the posters bleating on about woman being undesirable employees!

I agree that you shouldn't say anything until your job offer at the new place is definite.

But, once it is definite, I think it would be very unfair to the company not to make it clear what your intentions are, especially if it's a small company.

If you wouldn't be starting till this time next year anyway presumably you want to take your 6 months leave, come back and work for 6 months? If that's the case they shouldn't be refusing to pay your leave, you'll be coming back for a good chunk of time anyway.

yes all seems sensible advice, am still waiting to hear what the posters who claim I am being unreasonable suggest that I do....

you should probably stay at home, disco, you and your ovaries and baby, where you belong.

"basically, the new job is in very early stages and start date would not be before summer 2012 at the earliest, mat leave or no mat leave."

Leaving your maternity aside, it is pretty normal for the first an employer knows about a person leaving is when the letter of resignation is handed over one month before they leave. (That's why there are notice periods, to assist your employer in finding your replacement.) So, there's no way you should raise the matter with your current employer until you'd been interviewed and offered the job, in writing.

You had already told your employer you would be returning before this job appeared on the horizon, because that was your intent then. Until the new job offer hardens up, there is no need to change that.

You have plenty of time before you need to decide when, and what, to tell them. After all, the startdate might end up being Autumn, making the decision for you!

I'd normally agree with Andrew and Maurice because unfortunately having functioning ovaries does make us less employable, especially to smaller companies who can't really afford maternity leave, so I really hate women who take the piss because it just makes it all that harder for all of us. Even if a company doesn't have to pay the woman on maternity leave a penny and the replacement costs the same in wages, training the replacement up costs money in terms of time spent by the staff doing the training and in terms of the temporary staff being less productive than a permanent member of staff (at least for the first few months). For example, my DP works in computers and the company he works for doesn't like buying new computers for an employee because they'll then spend the a week having to tweak it until their 100% happy working on it and so get about a quarter of their usual workload done.

In this case though, the new job isn't going to materialise for at least a year (if at all). The OP would be an idiot to say anything to her company about it now. My advice to the OP would be to try and find out how much they like your maternity cover i.e. would they like him/her to take over your job if you left. If the new job is 100% set in stone i.e. you have signed an airtight contract and the company isn't going to go under, and they like your maternity cover then you should let them know before you come back so they have the chance to keep him/her. If they tell you that your cover is hopeless then wait it out in case the job doesn't materialise.