Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Money matters

Find financial and money-saving discussions including debt and pension chat on our Money forum. If you're looking for ways to make your money to go further, sign up to our Moneysaver emails here.

Original poster

Second job on maternity leave

10 replies

123anya · 21/02/2025 10:29

Hi, I have the opportunity to get a weekend job but I need to know if this will affect my maternity leave?

At my original job I work Monday-Friday. This new job would be at the weekend only, and my maternity pay has ended now, but I’m on leave for the full leave (I had statutory maternity pay) from my original job. Will my first job find out if I take this weekend job?

ideally I wanted to work both jobs, but I won’t take the weekend job if it means I have to go back to work now.

I’ve searched everywhere, but all it says is my payments will stop (again my payments have already ended)

OP posts:
TheOnlyThing · 21/02/2025 10:30

If you are working you aren’t on maternity leave.

Feliciacat · 21/02/2025 10:33

You can either be on maternity leave or be working; you can’t do both at the same time. I know your payments have stopped but you are still on maternity leave for the next three months. You would need to return to work in order to start earning. You are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave but that’s a special period in which you can’t work. If your other job don’t find out, HMRC will.

JoyousPinkPeer · 21/02/2025 10:37

You can continue your maternity leave... your maternity pay would stop though if you were still receiving it.

Neetra30 · 21/02/2025 10:57

If you are working whilst on SMP, your SMP will stop.

And yes your employer will find out if you have a second code since your tax code will change once commencing another role.

Even if your employer didnt find out, HMRC will know as your employer claims SMP from them, so they will be able to find out that you are clamining SMP whilst taking on another job.

Either you work and abandon SMP or you remain on maternity and continue to claim

JoyousPinkPeer · 21/02/2025 18:28

Neetra30 · 21/02/2025 10:57

If you are working whilst on SMP, your SMP will stop.

And yes your employer will find out if you have a second code since your tax code will change once commencing another role.

Even if your employer didnt find out, HMRC will know as your employer claims SMP from them, so they will be able to find out that you are clamining SMP whilst taking on another job.

Either you work and abandon SMP or you remain on maternity and continue to claim

Already stated ... SMP has ended

JoyousPinkPeer · 21/02/2025 18:29

Feliciacat · 21/02/2025 10:33

You can either be on maternity leave or be working; you can’t do both at the same time. I know your payments have stopped but you are still on maternity leave for the next three months. You would need to return to work in order to start earning. You are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave but that’s a special period in which you can’t work. If your other job don’t find out, HMRC will.

Not true ... read up!

NotEnoughRoom · 21/02/2025 18:35

Assuming UK?
Are you in the last 13 weeks of your maternity leave, or have you had your maternity leave but are now using accrued annual leave before returning to work?

if your employment contract does not prevent you from taking second employment, and your maternity pay has finished, then yes, you can start a second job whilst still on mat leave from the first.

you might need to ask permission from your employer for the second job before you take it though?

https://maternityaction.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/More-than-one-job.pdf

Original poster
123anya · 24/02/2025 13:40

Update: thank you all for the replies. Yes I’m within the last 13 weeks of maternity leave. I managed to get through to maternity rights hotline who told me I can take a second job without it affecting my leave from my first job.

it would have affected pay, but as I’m no longer receiving payments it doesn’t apply to me.

OP posts:
Loveduppenguin · 24/02/2025 19:20

123anya · 21/02/2025 10:29

Hi, I have the opportunity to get a weekend job but I need to know if this will affect my maternity leave?

At my original job I work Monday-Friday. This new job would be at the weekend only, and my maternity pay has ended now, but I’m on leave for the full leave (I had statutory maternity pay) from my original job. Will my first job find out if I take this weekend job?

ideally I wanted to work both jobs, but I won’t take the weekend job if it means I have to go back to work now.

I’ve searched everywhere, but all it says is my payments will stop (again my payments have already ended)

Also…If you keep the second job going forward and you have the two jobs and you then have another baby (providing you meet the other requirements) you will get two lots of SMP on that mat leave

Original poster
123anya · 06/03/2025 13:35

TheOnlyThing · 21/02/2025 10:30

If you are working you aren’t on maternity leave.

hi, Maternity Rights Hotline confirmed taking a 2nd job will not affect my maternity leave from my 1st job, as I’m entitled to that. It would stop my payments (payments already ended so it doesn’t matter in this case). Updating in case anyone else has the same question

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page