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SAHP

A place for stay at home mums and dads to discuss life as a full-time parent.

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Original poster

Resigning while on maternity leave?

30 replies

PasstheStarmix · 14/12/2017 11:32

Hi, I just wondered if any body has resigned while on maternity leave and how you went about it? Email, letter or in person?
I'm currently thinking about resigning while on maternity; feels abit cheeky though as I said I was going back and thought I was at the time but circumstances have changed since then. I don't get OMP or anything is I don't have that to worry about at least.

OP posts:

Original poster

PasstheStarmix · 14/12/2017 15:55

Forgot to mention I did change and say I didn't know whether I would be back half way through... thanks

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icantdothis2017 · 15/12/2017 07:48

Be aware that staying at home with a toddler full time is a lot different then a baby .
I regret leaving my job on mat leave hugely

shipperssss · 15/12/2017 07:54

That's not much help icantdothis2017
There may be many reasons why the OP isn't going back to work and you making out like she has no idea what it'll be like isn't very nice!
OP I have just resigned a week ago whilst on my second lot of maternity in two years 😳 I had to do it by email as I needed to make sure I wasn't paid any OMP that I may have to pay back. To be honest, I don't think my manager was in any way surprised as he knows that the cost of childcare is the problem for us. Maybe have a look over your contract and make sure you don't have to give notice in a certain way, i.e. By letter.

Spudlet · 15/12/2017 08:13

I rang HR and had a long chat about it, then followed up with a letter.

Being at home with a toddler is different from a baby - personally, I think it’s far more fun! We can do all sorts of fun things that we couldn’t when he was a baby. Horses for courses though. I found being at home with a baby horrendously hard, but others love it.

Also, as he becomes a little more independent —able to be distracted with short periods of CBeebies— I have been able to start freelancing on a very part-time basis, so that’s good too.

Original poster

PasstheStarmix · 15/12/2017 08:15

Thanks for your reply shipperssss. I will check my contract; that's a good idea. My work can be abit funny so if I hand it in the wrong format they'll probably not accept it. My work place is a long commute and difficult for me to get to and my child care fell through. If I decide to pay for child care I would need to work closer to home for it to work. My work are also reluctant to reduce my hours and weren't very nice to work for; they didn't treat me well throughout my pregnancy or maternity leave.
DS is only a baby so way off toddler age at the moment as one pp suggested. I'm just doing what works best for my situation at the moment and can't say it's going to be a long term thing. It's silly really that I feel so guilty for saying I won't be returning when they treated me the way they did.

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Original poster

PasstheStarmix · 15/12/2017 08:17

I also think having a baby changes your mindset abit. I was prepared to put up with a lot more 'crap' pre baby.

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KadabrasSpoon · 15/12/2017 08:19

I would definitely follow up with a letter or email so that you have a record.
Don't forget you accrue annual leave and bank holidays whilst on leave so best to resign towards the end of your leave - also useful as a lot of people change their mind so that gives you the option.

Iwasjustabouttosaythat · 15/12/2017 08:26

Can’t you call and ask? Mine just wanted an email but I checked first.
I don’t think it’s cheeky to quit on mat leave. I think it happens a lot.

gandalfspants · 15/12/2017 08:26

I sent the standard letter but also emailed to tell them I was doing so. They had an idea though as they'd provided a reference for a full time course.

Original poster

PasstheStarmix · 15/12/2017 08:29

I asked HR but they said just one months notice and I took it it can be in any form. I guess I just wanted to know what looked the best. I didn't know whether email would be okay etiquette-wise. I also want to check my contract as well as pp suggested as my hr have said things in the past that haven't been correct [shock

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Original poster

PasstheStarmix · 15/12/2017 08:30

OP posts:

Northernbird11 · 15/12/2017 11:59

Yeah I did, I just typed out a resignation letter and handed it in. My boss wasn’t there when I went to hand it in but he rang me and said he was sorry to see me go, he would always give me a reference etc and I was owed holiday money so it was quite a pleasant note to leave on really.
Is that what you have definitely decided?

QforCucumber · 15/12/2017 12:09

I did it- 1 month before I was due to return. Had been offered an alternative role. Sent a letter abd follow up email.

Original poster

PasstheStarmix · 15/12/2017 13:23

I'm due back next year and I've been really struggling with being off on maternity so long as it is and wish things were different. Unfortunately it's not really a choice northern; I can't go back due to circumstances and there no way around it; it also wasn't a nice place to work. I wouldn't want to see them face to face; it would be very awkward to be honest judging on how they've been through my maternity etc.
Thank you QforCucumber that's the route I'm going to go down I think.

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lyssie29 · 31/12/2017 13:09

I just went into work with a letter and told them. They were ok with it. I didn't have a choice as my fiance passed away while i was on maternity leave and childcare is too expensive around here. Yes being off with a toddler is different to a baby and tbh I love being able to spend all of the time with my babies. They are 4 and 2 now and I haven't been working for a year and a half. It's tiring but we do lots of fun things together and if i was working I would miss that.

GreenTulips · 31/12/2017 13:12

First check your contract

Some benifits have to be repaid if you don't return to work

Calculate any owed holiday and include that in your notice period and letter

You don't have to do anything until 4 weeks prior to your return

GoodForgetter · 31/12/2017 13:16

I wrote 'formally' to HR and emailed my boss directly.

GoodForgetter · 31/12/2017 13:20

And good point by greentulips - I would have had to pay back my enhanced mat pay had I not chosen to defer payment til the end of my leave.

ProseccoPoppy · 31/12/2017 13:20

No experience myself but DH resigned while on shared parental leave. It wasn’t unexpected. Tbh I think they’d have been surprised if he went back really. He did a formal written letter so there was no chance it was “wrong” then called to follow up a few days later.

Fuzzyduck21 · 14/01/2018 08:30

I wasn't local so just put two letters in the post...one to manager and one to hr. Not cheeky at all. Childcare costs are mental and I'm surprised so many people go back because of it.

Smellybears · 04/04/2018 12:40

Sorry to geg in on this but I’m considering leaving whilst on maternity too. How do I get out of doing the keep in touch days though? I know they aren’t compulsory but I work for a family business and they are expecting me to do ten of them. It’ll be obvious that I’m gonna hand my notice in but I want to hand it in right at the end as I’ll get four weeks holiday pay then!
Last month hey messed my money up. They paid me a day by mistake and now want me to work it to pay them back. The thing is, I paid £50 national insurance on that one days pay so I only really owe them less than £30. I’ve helped out so much over the years and thought maybe they’d say don’t worry about working it but no, they want it back! Other members of the team get treated a lot better than I do, I’m the black sheep and the rest of the team have noticed I get treated like shit. This is why I’m wanting to leave, can’t be doing with being treated unfairly anymore.

Smellybears · 04/04/2018 12:41

I only get paid statutory maternity pay, am i right in saying that I won’t have to pay anything back as it’s not the company that’s given me anything?

lennox91 · 24/04/2018 07:48

Yes you dont have to pay back statutory,only anything abive and beyond that

TomFun · 24/04/2018 07:57

Make sure they give you your salary for the Bank Holidays over your mat leave period, OP - I resigned and HR omitted the Bank Hols in my final pay packet, which I chased up promptly and got! They were worth a lot of money! Good luck - you do what’s right for you and yours. I’m about to go back to work, a new job which is much more suitable in terms of hours and location for my family. I don’t regret resigning from my old job. I did so via emailed letter after a brief chat with my boss.

Original poster

PasstheStarmix · 29/04/2018 18:11

Hi everyone and thanks for your replies. Just a quick update, I resigned at the back end of last year and it was the best decision for me and my family and I don’t regret it one bit. I got all my pay and everything was correct. I say if you’re not happy in your job and you’re in maternity leave and are in a position where you can resign you should go for it.

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