To think it's quite common to do this and it's not unreasonable?

[YuHu]

To go on maternity leave (and take the full amount) knowing full well you won't be going back without telling work until you have to give notice before you're supposed to be returning?

This is what I am doing at the moment, mid way through my maternity leave and I do not intend to return but won't be informing work until I legally have to.

My main reason for this is to safeguard myself in case the situation changes, I think it's far more sensible, even if you think you won't be returning, to not actually make it known until the end.

I think you've also been very lucky with your employers if you think it's always a good idea to inform your boss that you hope to leave their workplace in the future.

I have worked in places where employers absolutely would take that badly and if something did happen, and you had to return, you would be forever marked with them as the person who didn't really want to be there but had no choice, potentially looked over for promotions and so on.

As long as the notice periods in the contract are followed I don't see what the problem is. That is what the contact is for.

And I thought employers are not allowed to ask about family plans. That is illegal isn't it? So it's them doing the damage by making assumptions about women.

@YuHu

I think you've also been very lucky with your employers if you think it's always a good idea to inform your boss that you hope to leave their workplace in the future.

I have worked in places where employers absolutely would take that badly and if something did happen, and you had to return, you would be forever marked with them as the person who didn't really want to be there but had no choice, potentially looked over for promotions and so on.

I agree! You don't want to to make it hard for yourself if you do return.

I’m a teacher and all times I have gone back on the last day of a term to get paid over the summer or whatever. I would do it again.teaching is regarded to be better than most but I think it was 4 weeks full
Pay and then half pay for 12 weeks and then nothing for the next 6 months. Friend in the government got 12 months full pay. If men had babies it would be full pay for 12 months automatic and then no cost childcare for the company etc as standard and be available 24:7. My work and pension decreased after having children as did my career options, it is no wonder most headteachers and members of slt are male.

I did this, I did geniunely intend to go back but my ex husband landed a new job while I was on maternity which involved us moving away.

It's dispiriting to see so many responses supporting the OP in the name of equality - when it is this very thing that puts companies on the defensive, and understandably so, imo.

Women get pregnant. This will almost inevitably interfere with work in a way that it won't do with men. Life is not inherently fair - and we can't throw ourselves behind biological facts on the one hand, and then cry discrimination on the other.

It's legally OK to do this, and in the current uncertain economic environment I'd do it too - who is to say what might happen that might mean your company needs to make redundancies, say? If you'd left you'd not be entitled to redundancy, if still on mat leave you could ask to be selected.

@WhatMattersMost

It's dispiriting to see so many responses supporting the OP in the name of equality - when it is this very thing that puts companies on the defensive, and understandably so, imo.

Women get pregnant. This will almost inevitably interfere with work in a way that it won't do with men. Life is not inherently fair - and we can't throw ourselves behind biological facts on the one hand, and then cry discrimination on the other.

We can take into account biological fact (someone has to have the babies!) and fight for an end to discrimination. What do we do otherwise - say well, this is as good as it gets so let's not push our luck and fight for actual equality?

IMO it would be disrespectful to the feminists who have fought for us over the years to stop pushing for change (flexi time, social acceptance of equal parental leave, closing the gender pat gap) and instead say we are grateful the patriarchy has given us a bit of progress so we will put up and shut up...

The problem is with the law that enforces women to have to make these decisions.

The law should offer more protection to women in these circumstances, something which I believe employers would be in favour of.

@dementedma

Shit for the employer though, and contributes to the discrimination against employing women of child bearing age at interview. Just be honest

Yes, this.

@pollylocketpickedapocket

Because they have to shell out a wage for someone who isn’t there, plus paying out for someone to fill the role. Are you a bit thick?

No but I think you might be - not only do employers get back every penny of SMP they have to pay out but small employers can apply for advanced funding & get the money upfront from HMRC before the employee even goes on mat leave

[quote NatashaAlianovaRomanova]@pollylocketpickedapocket

Because they have to shell out a wage for someone who isn’t there, plus paying out for someone to fill the role. Are you a bit thick?

No but I think you might be - not only do employers get back every penny of SMP they have to pay out but small employers can apply for advanced funding & get the money upfront from HMRC before the employee even goes on mat leave [/quote]
No they don't get every penny of SMP back. Most employers get 92%, small employers can get 103%, but of course they are liable for accrued holiday pay. Their obligation to contribute to pensions also continues.

I'm supportive of women using maternity leave in the best way for them but we do need to be honest about the cost to the employer.

I am assuming that if the OP is on SMP that's 39 weeks leave. That's a long time to be basically saying to a business - who may or may not be doing KIT days, and may or not be making plans for how the business works when they get back, and may or may not have plans in place to cover rehiring costs and may be struggling because they are trying to cope without her because it's a SME and all that jazz - yeah, i'll be back in such a month, or whatever.

When you resign from a job or get made redundant, it's normally a few months leave or they give you gardening leave so you and the business can move on. Not in this case. Not in the case of anyone who just eeks it out with the full intention they don't go back.

And yes, they get SMP back and the bill for the Govt? A cool £2.64bn. So that needs to be paid for in our taxes because nothing comes for free.

@GordonsAliveAndEatsPies

I am assuming that if the OP is on SMP that's 39 weeks leave. That's a long time to be basically saying to a business - who may or may not be doing KIT days, and may or not be making plans for how the business works when they get back, and may or may not have plans in place to cover rehiring costs and may be struggling because they are trying to cope without her because it's a SME and all that jazz - yeah, i'll be back in such a month, or whatever.

When you resign from a job or get made redundant, it's normally a few months leave or they give you gardening leave so you and the business can move on. Not in this case. Not in the case of anyone who just eeks it out with the full intention they don't go back.

And yes, they get SMP back and the bill for the Govt? A cool £2.64bn. So that needs to be paid for in our taxes because nothing comes for free.

Maternity leave is very good value for money for the government. Having a parent there in the first year is better for attachment and brain development which leads to a healthier and more productive population in the long term. We need people to have children.

Plus if the government weren't paying for maternity leave then they would be paying more in universal credit and childcare as more women would become unemployed, more children would have to be in nurseries and more families would lose money and be more likely to be in poverty.

The U.K. has the third worst maternity pay in the world.

I'm basically doing the same thing. Been with the same company for ten years and was treated pretty poorly in that time. I owe them nothing.

Very common to do this. I used to see it for other reasons i.e. childcare after mat leave.

@Donoteatthekittens

The U.K. has the third worst maternity pay in the world.

Do you have a source? Beside the unicef study which included just select countries and not the entire world.

Doesn't the USA just have twelve weeks maternity leave? Not sure what they pay but google tells me it is zero.

Unpaid, and it's six weeks for most. That is for salaried women who are actually employees, and not classified as contractors. Contractors get nothing.

DD1 has a friend who has just delivered twins by CS, four weeks early, after a pregnancy that featured gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.. She has eight weeks mat leave.

For those who think it's unfair, what would you suggest in this scenario?

A man and woman work at the same company, with the same manager. They have a baby and after a few months, they talk about how nice it would be to both quit their jobs once her maternity leave is over. They decide to see how things are going once it's closer to the time before making a final decision.

Do you believe that both members of the couple should tell their manager at the point that they have this discussion?

@GordonsAliveAndEatsPies

I am assuming that if the OP is on SMP that's 39 weeks leave. That's a long time to be basically saying to a business - who may or may not be doing KIT days, and may or not be making plans for how the business works when they get back, and may or may not have plans in place to cover rehiring costs and may be struggling because they are trying to cope without her because it's a SME and all that jazz - yeah, i'll be back in such a month, or whatever.

When you resign from a job or get made redundant, it's normally a few months leave or they give you gardening leave so you and the business can move on. Not in this case. Not in the case of anyone who just eeks it out with the full intention they don't go back.

And yes, they get SMP back and the bill for the Govt? A cool £2.64bn. So that needs to be paid for in our taxes because nothing comes for free.

You'd get maternity allowance anyway!

Are you campaigning for no maternity pay?

Not at all.

This thread is so, so disappointing. Employers, especially in the current job climate, have all the power and employees very little. Employers can (and do) act in their own interests. Do you really think your employer would hesitate to get rid of you if they wanted or needed to, especially if you've already indicated to them that you're unsure about whether you're coming back?

I honestly think some people have been brainwashed by this capitalist system we're in. Your employer does not care about you. They are not doing you a favour by employing you, and you are not doing them a disservice by taking what you are legally entitled to.

@DrJamesSheppard

This thread is so, so disappointing. Employers, especially in the current job climate, have all the power and employees very little. Employers can (and do) act in their own interests. Do you really think your employer would hesitate to get rid of you if they wanted or needed to, especially if you've already indicated to them that you're unsure about whether you're coming back?

I honestly think some people have been brainwashed by this capitalist system we're in. Your employer does not care about you. They are not doing you a favour by employing you, and you are not doing them a disservice by taking what you are legally entitled to.

Agree, mind boggling.