Return of service at work maternity leave

[SammytheNurse5000]

Hi, panicking slightly and any advice would be great!

I work for the NHS and my employers are paying for me to complete a university course that is helpful to advance my nursing career.

They have requested that I 'repay' them with a four year return of service. This is fine, the hospital I work at are one of the best in my region and I have no issues with this.

My concern is that my course is due to finish soon and my husband and I are hoping to ttc in the next few months after getting the all clear from some quite recent and quite scary health concerns.

I am under the impression that although I plan to take a year off on mat leave, it would still count as reckonable service therefore counting towards a return of service-even though I get that I won't be working clinically on the ward.

My husband however is now panicking that we'll have to wait the four years which surely can't be true?

Has anyone had a similar experience or know if someone who has?

I can't ask my employer as they're separate to the university and would then ask my line manager who is a bit of a gossip!

TIA

I would think it's just continued service and mat leave would count towards continued service. So normally if you leave before u have done 4 years continued service after you have either started or completed the course ( not sure which) then they can request you pay some of the fees back. Not sure if any hospital would actually make u pay the fees back. Did they make u sign anything before you started the course that may have more details on but tbh I wouldn't worry to much about it and go head and ttc.
My work put me through my first surgical assistance course, with some sort of I'd need to pay it back if I leave within a certain amount of time, completed the course and got pregnant just after finishing.

By 4 years of service, they mean to be employed by them for 4 years. In those 4 years, you might get any leave that's appropriate: sick leave, maternity leave, etc. Maternity leave is not a break in service. So don't worry about it at all. Best of luck with TTC!

Thank you both! No, nothing to sign. I did think it would be okay but this has definitely put my mind at rest so thank you :)

A little bit different but I'm currently doing an apprenticeship in the NHS and due in June. Work were fine and they said if I never completed it I'd have a break in learning and go back to it after the year!

Good look TTC!