career break (short term) straight after maternity leave

[bt77]

I wonder if anyone has experience in this area that may be able to offer assistance. NHS HR are hopeless and Citizens Advice are taking an age to get back.

Our situation is this:

My wife is currently due to return to work at the end of April following the end of her maternity leave. However we have been really hit for six with the news that our 9 month old daughter requires heart surgery at Great Ormond St Hospital in early April. Given the likely recovery period from such major surgery my wife was hoping to taking a career break for a few months over this period to be at home with our daughter as she recovers back to full health.

However she has been told by NHS HR that it is impossible to go straight from maternity leave to a career break (whatever the circumstances!!) and she will be required to work a minimum of a working day per week or else repay her maternity pay.

I would really appreciate if someone could help advise us on this. To me this sounds like clear discrimination against my wife as had the need to take this emergency career break occured at any other time there would not have been an issue. The fact it occurs straight after maternity leave, when such heart defects often occur, means she is being penalised for taking maternity and then wanting to be off and care for our daughter.

Any thoughts would be gratefully received, thanks ever so much x

[bigkidsdidit]

Could she go back one day a week and you take that day off as leave for a few months?

[wickerlampshade]

I'm sure a gp would sign her off too

if she's ill
nothing in the thread suggests that she is ill
I do wish people on MN would stop trying to get GPs to collude against employers. We aren't stupid you know.

[wickerlampshade]

BTW OP that sounded a bit harsh - I really wish you all the best with your daughter. What a hideous thing to happen, especially with the area your wife works in. But getting signed off sick isn't the answer.

[SirNiallDementia]

Has your wife asked why she cannot request a careerbreak following her MAT leave?

It may be because employees an careerbreaks are expected to resign from the business for the duration of the careerbreak and as such she would not be an employee once her MAT leave ends.

You could get round this by asking for something where your wife remains an employee whilst she is off such as unpaid leave or parental leave. Or you could both request to work flexibly on a work pattern where one of you is always off work to care for your daughter? So of your wife works 1 day a week you could have that day off (annual leave or unpaid) and work the other 4 days?

[wickerlampshade]

Not sure if your wife is a doctor/nurse but is she a member of the BMA or equivalent union? this is the sort of thing they are good at

[Sezzathatsme]

Hey, I hope your daughter is doing well.

Did you ever get the career break sorted out of curiosity?

I am pregnant with twin and have requested career break for 2 years following maternity leave as I just will not be able to afford childcare for 2 and work also!

Below is the email from HR;

You are able to take a career break directly after your maternity leave, but we will defer the right to reclaim any OMP that you have taken to the end of your career break. You will need to return to work after your career break for 3 months or we will reclaim all of the OMP you received.

Therefore, you can take a career break straight off the back of your maternity leave (subject to managers agreement) Without having to pay back all of your OMP, as long as you return to work for at least 3 months following career break.

I did however get an email from someone in HR Beforehand who gave me the incorrect information, stating i had to return after Maternity leave for 3 months before commencing a career break! This was not the case at all!

[Siennabear]

I used to work for nhs , left recently. It’s very clear in the maternity policy that you have to return to work for 3 months following maternity leave , otherwise you have to pay back any enhancements. Can your wife just work the one day a week and you take annual leave for those days?

[Siennabear]

Just see this is 3 years old!!

[Florencex]

Zombie thread

[Sezzathatsme]

I am about to commence commence mat leave and have had confirmation that I can go straight to career break following mat leave. I will have to work back my 3 months AFTER career break.