Maternity Leave Question

[BatmanBaby]

I'm due my baby in the middle of Feb, when obviously we'll still be in lockdown! I was wondering if it is possible to take the initial two weeks maternity, return to work (I work from home, do 5 hours a day, and can easily spread this with the baby about) and then take the rest of my maternity leave after lockdown?

Or can I do something like 2 weeks maternity, work my contact days spread out, and then take time off afterwards (so work in lieu)?

It just seems a silly waste of maternity when we are stuck in doors and I can potter about and make up 5 hours a day easily!

Thanks!

Is this your first baby?
I would be very surprised if you were able to work 5 hours a day with a newborn at home, even spaced throughout the day. The constant feeding, changing (hopefully) sleeping and general recovery are fairly all-consuming.
I don't think it is possible to stop & start your mat leave, I'm not an HR expert so maybe someone else will know more

You can't split mat leave, so when you end it, you can't then go back on it (obviously unless you have another baby).

I’m in the NHS and as far as I recall it, we only have the option to split mat leave like that if you’re baby is born very prematurely.

You’d have to ask your HR department and read your organisations maternity policy but I very much doubt they will allow it

🤣. Trust me you will not have 5 hours free time. Some days I'm delighted to have showered!

I have a six week old baby and some days I can’t even have a shower, eat, or go to the toilet when I need to!

You can in theory curtail your mat leave and take shared parental leave which would enable this to happen (even if in fact you took most/all of it) although you would still have to use it all by baby's first birthday. You would need to check whether you are eligible of course, and also whether your employer matches any contractual maternity pay as shared parental pay. I can't remember offhand what the notice requirements are so you would also need to check these and whether you have time to do so if a Feb due date.

Having said all that, the purpose of maternity leave is to recover from birth, bond and look after the child. Not being able to go to baby groups in the first few months is not the end of the world and doesn't impact on the purpose of maternity leave. You may feel you have a better use of those five hours when the baby is asleep than work when you get there!

You can't split maternity leave and you won't want to do 5 hours of work a day when you've just given birth

This is either your first or you had a some kind of robot baby the first time around 🤣🤣

Will someone else be at home looking after the baby while you are working?

I wouldn't have had time for 5 hours work when mine was a newborn. Also, after 2 weeks I was still recovering from birth. At 7 months now I'd only be able to do 5 hrs of work a day if someone else looked after my baby for all or part of it. Naps aren't even predictable to get work done in. (Eg yesterday's morning nap was 2 hrs. Today she's done in 30 mins)

I do not see any possible way in which you could do five hours of work a day with a newborn baby around. Is this your first? I can’t find a spare hour in the day, let alone 5... most workplaces will also not let you work and be in charge of children at the same time so you would need to check if that was ok (Covid might mean they are more forgiving).

You’ll need to check your company’s policy but most places don’t let you split your mat leave so if you returned that would be it. Also don’t forget that mat leave isn’t about doing activities - it’s about caring for your baby. You would miss out on all that bonding and nurturing time if you were working. A newborn baby needs the care and attention of its parent(s) much more than it needs the kinds of activities prevented by lockdown.

5 hours free time a day 😂😂😂

Oh and no, you can’t do that

@BatmanBaby I think if your claiming SMP then you can't be flexible....but I'm not 100%. Best bet will be to speak with your HR department see how flexible they can be.

You might have 5 hours free a day....every baby is different. My DD was a dream and slept and ate most of the day for the first month however I didn't stop staring at her all day long!

Good luck

My boy is 14 weeks and it's a good day if I find time to shower and that's with my husband being at home furloughed 😂

Sorry OP that really made me giggle. As I think you are getting the gist of you will be lucky to get time to have a shower or a hot drink. To answer your question, you could probably do your 10 keeping in touch days and not affect your maternity but I've never heard of splitting it.

I'm pretty sure you can't stop and start maternity leave. I would suggest working until your due date if you haven't already let your employer know, then hopefully we will be on the home stretch out of lockdown by the time baby arrives. You need 6 weeks really to recover from giving birth and to establish feeding etc. I did go back to work (from home) after 2 weeks (and had a sn toddler as well) I seriously do not recommend, I was stressed, irritable, extremely tired and nearly ended my marriage but I had no choice, there's no paid maternity leave in the USA and my housing was tied to my job (if I didn't return at that point we would have had to resign and move)

You can’t start and then stop maternity leave only to then go back on maternity leave. It has to start the day you give birth at the latest then if you decide to return to work that’s your mat leave done. If you did shared maternity leave you could take 2 weeks off and then go back to work and then let your husband/partner take the rest of the time, you can’t start stop it though. Besides that you really would not be able to work with a newborn, that really is madness.