3rd pregnancy in 4 yrs.....will I have to resign?

[lazyeye]

I've just found out I'm preg again. Have 8mth old and 2 yr old. Still on mat leave from p/t job (unpaid leave now). I'm due to go back in Aug or will have to pay back extra mat pay. Do you think I have to resign?? I'd be so embarrassed to take more money from them (I work for a Uni) but really, we need it......help

I don't think you should resign if you don't want to. You're legally entitled to your maternity leave/pay, and after all it isn't that much money anyway!

DO not feel guil;ty - they would have no hesitation in sacking you if you were off il lfor ages I am sure

Definitely do not feel guilty, and don't resign. I have seen lots of people come back from mat leave pregnant again (nearly did it myself - came back and was pregnant 2 months later). There is absolutely no need to feel bad about taking any more money from your employer. Much of it is claimed back anyway. I work for a University too and find that as an employer they tend to be slightly more understanding about maternity leave kind of issues, because the basic pay is so dire the benefits have to be good or something like that.

Another benefit of working in Higher Education is that they are so crap at actually sacking anyone for anything at all then you can be fairly sure that they're not going to mind a bit more maternity leave here or there to get back good staff!!

I think it wholey depends on whether you're planning to go back after this preganancy. If you are then there's no difference taking the leave/pay now or at some later date. It may even save them the recruitment costs of another temp replacement as they may be able to keep the existing stand-in for longer.

However,I feel it's different if you're not planning to return, and especially if you'd not intended to go back after No.2 baby, cos that would be just milking the system.

On the money aspect - do you know if you'd qualify for Maternity Allowance if you wern't getting maternity pay for No.3?