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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to get a job, just so i can get maternity leave and pay

187 replies

doyouthinkthisisok · 19/09/2008 20:24

or do you think its fair enough, you've paid in for years and your only claiming what you are entitled to, or do you think its a bit off?

my dd is 17 months old and we have decided to try for another i am a sahm at the moment.
perhaps i should of gone back to my old job, 5 months ago?
the extra money we would get from mat leave would make it some much easier for us.
of course if i got a job next week, i have no idea how long it would take to get pg

OP posts:
mazzystar · 19/09/2008 21:32

Lynette, why do you feel guilty?
I know of plenty of people who have taken jobs knowing full well that within months they intend to:
leave to go to university
move to another country
go freelance
go on the stage
etc etc
Its just the way it is.
And suey how is she ripping her employer off? She will only be paid for the work she does. If she works for them for a year she will be entitled to mat pay. That's the law of the land. [beginning to agree about the attitude though]

BrownSuga · 19/09/2008 21:33

only if you get over and above the stat mat pay flourybaps. i resigned while on mat leave from my last job. fwiw, i started a job 3 weeks ago, to keep a smaller gap on my cv really, and plan to have another child in the next year. and will probably go back to the company after ML. The benefit is there to be used, and if you qualify, then use it.

Original poster
doyouthinkthisisok · 19/09/2008 21:38

this place only pays smp no extras no nothing extra given to be paid back

OP posts:
flourybaps · 19/09/2008 21:39

mazzystar has swung it for me, she right, i think. lots of people for all types of reasons take a job knowing it will only be for a limited amount of time. and who knows how long it will take you to get preg. I think you should go for it..... i think!

Original poster
doyouthinkthisisok · 19/09/2008 21:42

actually i agree i think mazzy talks the most sense on this whole thread.

would i think someone was out of order talking a job for only a year before going uni or travelling? no
so it is true people take jobs short term for allsorts of reasons.

OP posts:
LackaDAISYcal · 19/09/2008 21:44

I debated long and hard about my decision to see the doc about getting signed off rather than just resigning and we decided to go for it as we knew the extra money from my secind ML would come in handy (it was also an unplanned pregnancy). Some days it sits easier on me than others, although in one way it was easier for my employers this way as they already had cover staff in place whose contract they have just extended. If I had gone back for three months they would have had the expense and trouble of finding other cover as the chap doing my job whilst I was off would have moved into something else by then.

drbread · 19/09/2008 21:47

daisy, how many weeks pg where you by the time your 1st ml ran out?
how is your pnd now?

Reallytired · 19/09/2008 21:48

I can't see the problem. Infact you could describe me as unethical.

I am only paid marginally above the minimum wage as I do IT support in a school. I have been employed in my present job for a year although I have been employed by the council for 3 years. Ie. my payroll number has been the same.

My pregnancy was completely planned. However my boss is not that unhappy. I will have been in post for 18 months. People with IT support skills are in high demand. Most people with my level of experience leave after 6 months for better pay. I will return to my job and be trapped with low pay for more years as I want the school holidays off.

You cannot claim SMP unless you have worked enough months. I don't see how it is spondging.

Bubble99 · 19/09/2008 21:48

But if someone takes a job and then goes to uni/travelling etc - am employer doesn't have to cover and keep their job open for a year.....

Or pay for time off for hospital/midwife appointments.

suey2 · 19/09/2008 21:49

but there is no guarantee you will have a good
Pg. The employer does not know for sure when you will be leaving. A small business thrives on continuity.

LackaDAISYcal · 19/09/2008 21:51

I was about 14 weeks, but I had accrued holiday immediately after my ML, so was technically back at work already iyswim.

PND/AND still bad. Seeing a pshych once every three weeks and taking ADs.

suey2 · 19/09/2008 21:52

you are totally different reallytired. I have no problem with your position

Bubble99 · 19/09/2008 21:52

Really crappy thing to do to a small business, IMVHO.

We had an employee who didn't tell us that she was PG at her interview (and yes, we were allowed to ask)

She got very narky when she found out that she wouldn't qualify for SMP.

drbread · 19/09/2008 21:54

bubble i think you are scraping the barrel with making out time off for antenatal care is such a biggie, most of my patients come to see the mw on days off etc anyway as to avoid putting work out, makes me quite cross at times. as these ladies do need some rest time, what with the fact most of them work until the babys due too.
then they wonder why they are shattered!.
they need to prepare like are about to run a marathon imo.

BouncingTurtle · 19/09/2008 21:55

I'm actually in that situation now (not for the reason the OP stated, but one of the scenarios suggested by Mazzystar), I have just returned myself from ML only to find out someone who was taken on in June and being developed a new and fairly critical role has decided to go back to uni, despite the fact he told my boss who interviewed him he had no intention of going back .
This has meant a load of extra work for me that I could have done with out, my staff who are all very busy have wasted time training this person on complex analytical techniques, plus there are also the unsucessful applicants who would have been over moon at getting a permanent job!
So while I agree with what Mazzystar says, it still doesn't make it right...

Ronaldinhio · 19/09/2008 21:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Nat1H · 19/09/2008 21:57

I did the same, although I was still working for the same employer at the time. I was working 3 days a week, but upped my hours to full time so that I would get more maternity pay (SMP was topped up by my employers).
I don't think it's any worse than people who claim dole, but are really working.

drbread · 19/09/2008 21:58

daisy i am glad you are getting the appropriate treatment.
do you think something triggered your depression or is that too personal for a message board?
did you have AND with your 1st too?

MrsThierryHenry · 19/09/2008 21:58

I'd like to get a job and then get pregnant afterwards, but we won't be planning for another one until I've been in the job for at least 18 months or so.

I think it is definitely off to do what you're suggesting, just as it's unacceptable to take lots of sickies, or be a crap manager and destroy your team's self-esteem or (IMO) take lots of long ciggie breaks every day and not compensate your employer for the time.

The thing is, out of that list, IME the only person who'll generally get noticed is the pregnant woman. It sucks that women are an easy target for employers but sadly that's the way things are. For you to suggest you take advantage of maternity laws like this is not doing the rest of us any favours.

Bubble99 · 19/09/2008 21:59

We work in a business with strict ratios (childrens' nursery)

We have to employ agency staff to cover ante-natal appointments (ie. paying two salaries for the same hours) so, no - not 'scraping the barrel.'

Last year we had five (out of 20) staff on maternity leave.

drbread · 19/09/2008 22:00

ronaldinhio, how long did you return to work for inbetween?

LackaDAISYcal · 19/09/2008 22:03

Not at all Drbread......my depression is pretty well documented on here . PND after first 6.5 years ago......several bouts of depression since due to a series of traumatic life events including two miscarriages and losing my dad very suddenly, AND when pregnant with DD leading into PND leading into current pregnancy and AND again..........methinks it's just plain old D really . I am getting there though, but it's a struggle some days.

BT....you made me do a double take there!!

Salleroo · 19/09/2008 22:04

Why do you need to ask permission here? Go for it. You are not pregnant, it could take a while to get pregnant. You could be working for a year and a half. Thats the average life span of most jobs these days. Have you taken child care for your curent dd into account? Is it actually worth while to go back to work?

No one likes women of child bearing age. You know what - get over it. The government put huge numbers on disability allowance to make the unemployment figures look better and now they are trying to figure out ways to get them back to work.

The OP is willing to do an days work for a days pay and maybe get mat cover out of it. She pays her taxes and why not. It's better then sitting on her ass trying to figure out ways to swindle dole payments and all the other fringe benefits.

I'm going to get killed for this post, but every other man and his dog is fleecing the coffers. She is willing to work in the hope of getting mat allowance - what's the big deal?

If it suits your needs dyttiok then do it. You dont need our permission.

lou031205 · 19/09/2008 22:05

The law provides for mat pay to be paid if you satisfy the criteria. To make a moral judgement on it is daft.

Is it wrong to get a job knowing you have a chronic condition which may require sick leave? No.

drbread · 19/09/2008 22:05

bubble, if you want to run a business in this country you have to abide by the rules and laws.
just the same as you know how much tax costs and if a company finds the tax cost too heavy its tough luck.
if your business cannot operate sucessfully under the law, there is no true business imo.