Working full time elsewhere whilst on maternity suspension from another job

[Lightsoutallout]

I began working at a company in October in the care field. When I took the job my employers knew I was also a self employed consultant in a different field and had no issue with me continuing with self employed work. I have no set shifts/rota at the care company and the hours are sometimes night work or sometimes day work. When I told them about my pregnancy they placed me on maternity suspension on full pay because they felt it was too high risk with moving & handling.

I have now been offered a full time office job position which I would like to accept. Legally, is there anything stopping me from working in an office job full time whilst still receiving full time pay from being on maternity suspension from another job?

I would still like to work at the care company but unfortunately they are saying I'm too high risk at the minute and the office job would not be high risk which is why I'd like to accept.

Highly unlikely you could get away with this.

What does your employment contract say about working elsewhere?

If you add up the hours in both jobs do they come to more than 48 per week?

You resign from the care company & accept the office job.

Otherwise you would effectively have two full time jobs at once unless I’ve missed something?

That sounds really dodgy. Take one job or the other, surely?

Is there any chance at all that the care home job could call you in for meetings or decide to have you do some extra training or studying etc? Because then you'd need to be available.

Would you be planning on quitting the care home job or the office job when it's time to return to both?

Maybe call CAB and ask them. If it's legal then nothing can stop you.

I'd suggest being cautious as you'd potentially be seen to be resigning from your care job, and as you're already pregnant you would not be entitled to maternity pay from this office job.

Hi All

Thanks for your answers. I might ring CAB to see what they say from a legal standpoint, thank you.
The care job is through the day/night and is 3 consecutive days a week 12 hours a day/night. The "office" job is a work from home position and not limited to Monday-Friday so I could work them round eachother if I was going to do both full time. I already have been doing one full time and one part time but would like to basically make the part time into full time if that makes sense.

I don't qualify for maternity pay for either job but should be able to get maternity allowance.

I would be classed as working more than 48hours if I did both but I have signed the form to opt out of the working time regulations.

There is nothing in my care contract about working another role and they know I work part time at the other job already. I haven't recieved a contract for the other role and I haven't yet told them about the pregnancy for obvious reasons... 🙄

What is your opt out agreement for? Are both jobs within the care sector? If one is a work from home?
Where would you have your 2 days off per week that you legally need?
Signing an opt out agreement is fine but is not really the done thing in order to hold down 2 full time jobs which is effectively what you will be doing. Opt out is for someone who might want to work an additional shift on top of their normal full time job and is normally held in relation to the same type of work.
I manage this in my current work placement and see that we have people doing what you are doing. They are come down on heavily as some work 6 weeks in a row without a day off and this is unacceptable with many workplaces trying to close the loop for this type of thing. Also you are pregnant so you need to be taking care of yourself even though you are medically suspended due to pregnancy and the work environment this may just bring you another set of stress which cannot be healthy.

I haven't yet told them about the pregnancy for obvious reasons

What reason?