Repayment of OMP experiences

[EHB14]

I’m planning to resign from my job at the end of maternity and look for another job whilst my baby is young. I understand that my employer will request for repayment of my OMP. Debating if its worth taking OMP or just statutory.

They offer:
6 weeks full pay
12 weeks half pay plus statutory
21 weeks statutory

Has anyone repaid it? How did they want it back (in full / installments?) and how long did you have to return the money?

@EHB14

I’m planning to resign from my job at the end of maternity and look for another job whilst my baby is young. I understand that my employer will request for repayment of my OMP. Debating if its worth taking OMP or just statutory.

They offer:
6 weeks full pay
12 weeks half pay plus statutory
21 weeks statutory

Has anyone repaid it? How did they want it back (in full / installments?) and how long did you have to return the money?

I haven't had any experience of this but just wanted to suggest have you checked how much annual leave you have accrued and how long you have to work for in order to not pay back your OMP? Annual leave will count as time back at work, so if you have three months of accrued annual leave and have to work three months in order to not pay back OMP then you wouldn't have to go back in reality.

I don’t have annual leave from my job because I’m a teacher with set holidays. I don’t know how this works with maternity but because I’m paid for the school holidays I don’t think it’ll make any difference. Could be wrong though

@EHB14

I don’t have annual leave from my job because I’m a teacher with set holidays. I don’t know how this works with maternity but because I’m paid for the school holidays I don’t think it’ll make any difference. Could be wrong though

Hi @EHB14, I’m a HR consultant who specialises in education so know the OMP scheme that the Burgundy book offers.

A few things - you DO get holiday (every employee has a right to paid holidays) and teachers get 5.6 weeks of statutory annual leave. As you know, you only have certain dates to resign by to leave at the end of the term so you can possibly work it to your advantage.

A lot of cases I advise on, the employee will elect to return just before the summer closure period and then only return for a few months so they don’t have to re-pay the element of enhanced maternity leave. BUT, if you don’t want to return at all, you will have to re-pay an element (it’s week 7-18 I think but would need to check) and what you re-pay doesn’t include the element of SMP that’s included in the payments as you don’t have to re-pay statutory maternity pay.

If you are adamant you’re not returning it, I personally wouldn’t take it in the first place as it may mess up your tax/HMRC etc. But if you’re not sure, take it any put it by. You can arrange with your employer to pay back over a few instalments (it’s common practice to pay it back over the period of time you received the money or possibly a bit longer).

Hope this helps, and congratulations

Sorry, also meant to add that with your annual leave, because of the way your salary is made up, you would need to work out if there have been enough school closure periods in each annual leave year around your maternity leave to use your accrued holiday. If there has been sufficient closure periods, you wouldn’t be entitled to anything upon resigning.

@OCM19 thanks so much for your response! Is it possible to leave, return to do the three months required by next Easter, put in my notice to leave in July owing them nothing? I can possibly stomach a few more months at my job to avoid having to give them a lot of money each month to repay my OMP.

[quote EHB14]@OCM19 thanks so much for your response! Is it possible to leave, return to do the three months required by next Easter, put in my notice to leave in July owing them nothing? I can possibly stomach a few more months at my job to avoid having to give them a lot of money each month to repay my OMP.[/quote]
Also, am I able to return for the three months part time?

@EHB14 do you know what type of school you work in? Community, Voluntary Aided, Academy? As the scheme and conditions for returning may differ if it’s not a LA school

@OCM19 academy, all the policy on maternity says is that if you don’t return for 3 months you are eligible to repay your OMP.