Applying for promotion whilst on maternity leave

[IDontDrinkTea]

I have applied for a promotion within the place I currently work and have been lucky enough to be given an interview.

My question is, are they able to ask me to return from maternity leave early? Apparently they’re keen for whoever gets the job to start before the existing person leaves. Which is a few months before I had intended to return to work.

Obviously I’d really like the job. Are they able to make returning from mat leave earlier than I’d planned a condition on getting the job?

They probably 'can't' make you - and partly may depend on how what their options are on how flexible they can be....

but if you want the promotion then you maybe need to think about how flexible you could be.... could you go in for some hand over days before the existing person leaves?
coudl you go in v part time to keep ticking over eg 2 days or something..
whats your min length of mat leave you woudl be prepared to take...
if you are talking maybe another 9 months then they may not be able to wait ...if your talking 3 then maybe esp if you can get handover...

have some solutions/options worked out in advance....

Go blow their socks off :) the more they want you the more flexibility they will offer!
If they want