WWYD? Maternity leave

[Matleavemam]

I'm currently on maternity leave and agreed with my employer to take the full year including 12 weeks unpaid. My DS is now 3 months old and DH and I have realised we can't really afford the unpaid weeks. I asked my employer if I could cancel the 12 weeks unpaid or had they hired someone to replace me, they said they have hired someone up until the end of the 12 weeks unpaid but it's my rights to return earlier if I wish too. I just feel bad as they'd have to pay two salaries for those three months. I work for the NHS so it seems a bit of a dick move to cost them a couple of grand due to me changing my mind. DH thinks I'm being ridiculous for considering saying no, I need the money and am entitled to return but I just feel like an arsehole, to be quite honest.

WWYD?

Do what is right for you and your family. You have given them 6 months notice even though legally you only have to give 6 weeks I think.

It's the NHS. They aren't exactly awash with surplus staff are they?

Come back when you want.

I wouldn’t be putting myself under financial pressure just because I felt bad about work having to pay the other person until the end of their contract, even if it is the NHS. You are well within your rights to do so so don’t give it a second thought.

It’s your choice - don’t feel bad about it! How can you know exactly how you will feel and your financial situation before having the baby?
Just make sure you are clear when you would like to return as to not change your mind again. Within your 9 or 12 months you acquire all contractual holiday so plus bank holidays so you’ll probably have about 4 weeks or more leave to take paid before you return if you choose to take it that way!

I’d give the required notice about returning to work. I thought your employer doesn’t have the right to hold you to the return date, they have to let you give notice to return.

Put yourself and your family first- no employer would ever put you before them. You've done nothing wrong and shouldn't feel bad.

You only have to give notice of your return date. Any accrued leave allowance will be paid so you could take that before returning which would give you another 4 weeks or more.

Think its 8 weeks notice you give if you want to return earlier than planned

Agree with others, if you feel you need to come back earlier , than do so.
You have been more than fair with your department.
Also agree with others, and I am sure you know this anyway, its hardly likely that they will be twiddling thier thumbs should you come come and it will probably be a welcome relief to everyone to have another person.
You do sound like an incredible thoughtful person

They are idiots. They can end the other person's contract by giving the notice period agreed in the contract, despite it being given as a year initially. Do what you need to.

Can you use some of your annual leave that you have acquired whilst being on mat leave before you return? It's quite common for people to do that.
Don't feel bad about returning early, I'm sure they will find enough for you to both do

It’s your choice, go back when you want to.

Do what you need to do. The money spent is a drop in the ocean for the NHS. They waste millions on other stuff. Think of how productive things might be with an extra pair of hands about whilst you get back into the swing of things :-)

Er no. The only date your employer can hold you to is the legal end of your mat leave. As in if you don’t return they can then ask where you are.

Other than that you just have to give 8 weeks notice of when you’d like mat leave to finish. End of

And considering most notice periods are 4 weeks, that’s plenty of time for your employer to give notice to your cover should they wish to

It’s entirely up to you what you do

They dont have to pay the other individual for the additional 12 weeks, they just finish their contract earlier?

Firstly do whatever is best for your family.

Secondly I would be astonished if your HR are so completely incompetent as to draft a maternity cover contract that commits your employer to paying someone for the whole 12 months regardless. People change their mind about return dates from maternity leave all the time!

HR will have drafted it to finish at 12 months or upon your return, whichever comes sooner, and/or there will be provision in it for them to give the person probably a month's notice to terminate early.

Not your concern anyway, but there's no way they'll have to pay two of you.

Do what works best for you and your DC. The NHS is big enough to absorb the cost and will be aware of supporting staff on mat leave. You're still accruing annual leave so if you wanted to stay at home longer, could you ask to add some AL on to the end of what you can afford to take.

I had a FTC chopped in half because someone came back from mat leave early, so they may not be as stuck as you think.