Supposed to be returning to work after ML- pregnant again, help!

[PossetFeatures]

DS is 9 months and I'm due to return to work (I think 2 or 3 days a week) in Dec. I've recently found out i'm pg again (unplanned, due start of May), and i'm having a meeting with my boss later on this week to discuss my return.

I'm going to have to tell him that i'm pg again, and i'm not sure what to do... basically I think my replacement who has been covering my position two days a week is keen to stay on in some capacity, so do I:

a.) suggest that we perhaps do a job share (apparently there has been more work than 2 days can cope with) until I go off on leave again, bearing in mind I will only be going back for 4/5 months.

b.) Find a way of broaching the subject of perhaps a pay off of some kind (our work has done this before to people, although not anyone on ML) in return for me not coming back to work and 'messing them around' i.e. them having to find someone else new, pay recruitment fees when I trot off again.

I'm finding it hard to know what would be best for our family, as I do quite like my job, my boss and the people I work with, and it pays quite well, but it's not what I ever really wanted to do. However, I was actually quite looking forward to going back a couple of days a week. On the flip-side, i'm a bit worried now about getting DS settled in childcare (a CM friend of ours has offered to have him 2 mornings a week, PIL the afternoon), and then taking him out after 5 months or so (we couldn't afford to carry on paying for CM once i'm off work again)- would it really unsettle him and is it worth the hassle?

I'm wondering if a possible pay-off might be best (if offered of course) as I won't be back long enough this time to claim SMP even if I work right up until my due date (might be able to get maternity allowance though?). But would it be better for my CV and future prospects to go back, even if for such a short amount of time?

WWYD? How would you broach a pay-off discussion (if you would at all)? I don't want to seem too keen to be paid off as then I don't seem committed (yes, I know, I'm probably not), but want to see what my options would be. I get on well with my boss, and I suspect he may see a pay off as an option so that the business has continuity and they don't have to faff around with too much change/recruitment, but he may be scared to approach the subject as then he'll be on dodgy ground legally if I was horrified by the thought!

Anyone ever been in this position, or can offer my their opinion?

Help!

I would not go for a pay off.... With two children, you might find that you need the money (and the peace!!) work can offer....

Don't feel guilty about this. Your pregnancy wasn't planned and it's not like you've done it to just take advantage. The same maternity rights etc apply.

Why don't you go in and explain to your boss that you are looking forward to coming back and are ready to get stuck in. Then I think you should let him know that you are pregnant again but don't want this to affect your commitment to your role- perhaps suggesting the job share at that point?

If you go in all apologetic etc then it looks like you've done something bad, which you haven't. It may be a shock to your boss etc but remember you have RIGHTS and as QuintessentialShadow says you are more likely to need the money with 2 children.

All the best with it.

I'm stuggling to understand why you don't go back to work then takeaway ott leave from May again.

I am also confused about the pay off idea. Why should they pay you off? If you decide to leave surely you hand in your contractual notice and that is that.

Did you receive any emhmcwd maternity pay or just smp?

Sorry "takeaway ott" should read "take maternity leave"

Someone else will know more than me but I had the feeling that being on maternity leave counts as being employed from an SMP point of view so you should still get SMP if you go back to work. But that is only a feeling I have.

You also don't need to say you are pregnant until you are 25 weeks pregnant - there's no need for you to announce it straight away (although I realise that it is hard to keep it concealed so to speak for that long).

You are entitled to further maternity leave with your second child here - you'll need to scroll down a bit. I can't remember exactly when the qualifying weeks are for calculating your maternity pay but I think weeks 17-25 so if you are back at work then it means it will be calculated on a higher amount than SMP.

this happened to me a couple of years ago. i can't remember when i told my boss but it wasn't straight away. i worked out i would be back at work for a couple of months before due to take ML again. i worked shifts so there was no specific replacement for my job, other staff and casual staff covered my hours. i didn't qualify for SMP because i was on maternity leave with dc1 when i needed to be earning to qualify for it, but i did get it through the job centre because i worked long enough and earnt enough, it was just later on in my pregnancy. i got what i would have earnt from work but paid through the job centre - lots more forms to fill in!

i felt really guilty but everyone at work were really good about it and really nice to me so if there was any bad feeling i wasn't aware of any! everyone knows you have to put your family first and do what you can.
i now have a 9month old too

You are entitled to further maternity leave with your second child here - you'll need to scroll down a bit. I can't remember exactly when the qualifying weeks are for calculating your maternity pay but I think weeks 17-25 so if you are back at work then it means it will be calculated on a higher amount than SMP.

Thanks all for you advice, feel a bit better now! Especially knowing that I may be entitled to some SMP after all.

FWIW I don't think I should be paid off at all, but knowing my boss, it might be an option that he'd think about, so was just wondering if i'd be better off taking any payment, rather than going back and perhaps earning less in 4/5 months overall, plus the upheavel of putting DS in childcare then taking him out.

I will let you know how the meeting goes!

I was in the same situation with a 15 month gap between DD and DS. It did feel a bit embarrassing having to go in and tell my boss but I requested to return early from my maternity leave. As far as I remember, your mat pay is based on your income at a specific week in the pregnancy so I made sure that I was back in time to get full mat pay. Because I had cut my first mat leave down to 9 months rather than 12, I then took parental leave at the end of my second stint so had 15 months off with both my children.
The only downside was that I did feel sorry for the person who had been covering my job who had to leave earlier. However, you need to look after your own family first and he got another role within the company!