Anyone knowledgable about NHS maternity policy and not returning to work?

[Mamasmilkbrewery]

If I don’t return to work will I have to pay back the maternity leave pay?
if I want to terminate my contract how much time is required to work so I don’t have to pay back any maternity pay?
if I can’t have my contract hours reduced or a flexible working plan what else could I do without have to pay back the maternity leave or finding a new position apart of the nhs?

basically I want to resign from my position without having to pay back SMP as it won’t be possible to work in my position / contracted hours due to childcare issues. My ML is due to finish soon and I have chosen to spend accrued leave following its end however once that is completed I don’t know how I am going to meet my weekly hours without childcare.

I think you have to work three months after the return of mat leave to not have to pay it back? (I took mat leave 12 years ago so may have changed). I don’t think it has to be same hours or even the same trust (I returned part time to same trust).

you don’t have to pay back the SMP just the OMP (the extra given on top of the SMP because you work for the NHS)

can you ring HR and ask them? Or your trust should have sent you/given you the mat leave policy?

have they refused flexible working? I returned part time from full time and couldn’t work part time in my pre-may leave role so they moved me to another team on my return.(understand not all places/jobs can do this)

I have yet to request an FWP but I can imagine it’s going to be fun and games with them.

after discussing expressing milk as they suggested an inappropriate place to do so they said I could do it within our building but I’m not aloud to wash my pumps out there only at home even though I would use them more than once?

I have the policy it’s very misleading and missing the answers to most questions believe it or not!

thanks for your response!

Three months - annual leave covers a lot of it and you can go back to different trust/role etc.

Not much help for you, but it's best to think this all out before you go on Mat leave!

In your circumstances I would get back to work asap and use all your remaining a/l to reduce the hours you need to work each week. If you take a/l then go back you will have to work your contracted hours.

When are you due back? You need to give notice of your intention to return. Only Occupational Maternity Pay over and above SMP is repayable and the letter you had outlining your Maternity leave and pay should state the conditions for returning to work and retaining it.

You should not need to clean your pump, how old will your baby be when you return? I didn't need to express past 9 months and carried on breastfeeding for 3 + years. As others have said you can use your AL to cover your return

I have some childcare just not enough to cover the whole week working hours, plus it’s costly especially with how things are right now also to add I want to be with my baby as much as I can so I don’t miss out on their 1st’s as I made this mistake last time! You can’t get that time back…

But you can’t feed a baby breast milk that has been out longer than 4 hours?

it would also affect the pump seals and its parts condition overtime causing more £££ on new pump parts - I want a o look after the pump and maintain its condition it was very expensive!

Could you just wipe it out without needing g to wash it maybe?

How long do you have left? Do you have e time to get a new, part time job in the NHS? You just need to work for the NHS after maternity leave, not the same job.

This is what I did as my NHS employers refused to reduce my hours so I found work elsewhere.

Can you put your pump in the fridge? I can't see how they can stop you washing your pump parts.

They suggested somewhere inappropriate for me to express. Like a store cupboard that someone could lock me in and then unlock me afterwards. And then the caretaker said 'how about she just uses the breastfeeding room like any other breastfeeding mother?'. Nobody questions where I store my pump or milk.

Exactly this. Get a small cooler bag with frozen ice packs. After pumping first time pop it into the pack and put everything in the fridge at work. I went back to work when my first was 9 months and I due to allergies I had to express for nearly a year.
I did similar with my second but didn't express for long, just until 13 months as no allergies.

How old will your baby be? You can time it so that you only express once a day and feed as soon as you get home. But it does sound like you don't want to go back.

As others have said - you have to return for 3 months in order not to pay it back.

But you will have accrued a lot of annual leave on maternity leave, you could either take that in a block eg 5 weeks in a row (and then work 7 weeks on your previous hours) OR explore if work would let you stagger it. Eg. 3 days a week for 12 weeks (if you have childcare for some of the time) until you have worked 12 weeks.

I was in a different position rather a long time ago (amongst other things, my contract had to be extended to allow me any return-to-work after maternity leave). But this return was made up of several weeks accrued leave at the 60% PT I had been working, followed by I think about 9 weeks at 50% with no OOH, to complete the 3 months required to not have to pay leave back.

I hope you can work something out that makes sense for you and your family.

The need to express is so the child can still have breast milk as I won’t be present to give them it and to keep up the production of breast milk so I don’t dry up

I know the milk goes in the fridge - I’m not stupid I think you misinterpreted what I meant… I think I would like to rinse my pump parts to upkeep there condition given the cost of the whole thing then use antibacterial wipes otherwise the parts to the pump would deteriorate causing the product to not function correctly or vacuum seal perfectly to give it the best hospital grade function.

So basically there is a policy that states you cannot put any equipment or breast milk in fridges that contain medicine or food however the management have decided it would be ok to use the normal staff fridge if the milk is in a bag in a bag basically as for the breast pump that’s a no no.
there is a place to express specifically but I would not be able to travel there due to disabilities so instead this would be within a room in the building instead that would be private and there is a lock I believe - to be honest I would be happy to pump and work but I don’t think others would be too pleased with that despite everyone eating there lunch’s at their desks in which some smell absolutely vile and there’s no control regarding foods where someone could have a very serious allergy to something. What am I supposed to do wash them in the bathroom haha…. Are they going to give me disciplinarys if I use a normal sink in a more clean space - I should ask them to prepare their lunch in the bathroom.

When I return to work he will have turned 12 months - I want to breast feed for aslong as possible to the max age of 2 I think - I’m worried I won’t be able to keep lactating if I stop pumping/feeding so much. I’m very well educated on breast feeding in the early stages up to when they are weaned almost fully but not at the stage where you go back to work etc

If they can’t make any changes then this would be the case