Can I be signed off before returning from maternity leave?

[rosiebutterfly]

Hello, I am just after some advice- I am due to return to work after the summer as I would have taken off a year for maternity leave.
During this maternity leave I have been struggling alot with my mental health - I had already suffered with anxiety and depression but after experiencing alot of burn out with two under two, I have now been diagnosed with both types of ADHD and awaiting an official autism diagnosis on top of this, as I am showing signs of autism.
My two year old also has been transferred to neurodivergent services and my 11 month old also is showing signs of autism and developmental delays, there is so much stress and so much to manage for me right now, but I am scared to not go back permanently because financially I have to.
Has anyone been signed off in advance before returning to work from maternity leave? My husband has also got a new job and will not be around to support me for now with the children and currently I rely on him heavily with this to share the load.
I wanted to extend my leave just for a few months whilst I get to grip with being the sole parent and also routine affects me massively, so having a few extra months just to get my head around everything.
I am not expecting full pay from work because of my mental health issues and now disabilities, but even a few months on statutory sick would really help me.
The reason I ask in advance is because I need to give work eight weeks notice with my plans to go back to work, so was wondering if that would be a possibility in doctors terms to get signed off eight weeks before returning. My last maternity stat pay was february, so to not receive any sort of money at all for seven months is not possible for me.
Any advice appreciated as I am unsure how to navigate this all and don't really have anyone around me to ask.

I can't see a doctor post dating a sick note for you to get SSP. You may have to take unpaid leave, otherwise think you will need to wait until you are due to go back and then send in a sick note if you are still struggling.

The GP or MH professional signing you off has to assess you around the time they write the note to declare you unfit for work. There’s no way anyone can say in advance how you will be at the end of your maternity leave.
You will need to make plans with your work to return on X date and then nearer the time speak to your Dr about getting a fit note at that point

thank you I thought as much, I just feel weirdly bad about letting them down if that happens last minute when I said i'd come back

Obviously a doctor can't sign you off 8 weeks in advance. You can't even know yourself how you're going to feel at that point. Is this actually about being ill or just about extending the time that you have off work?

Would you even qualify for SSP anyway if you haven't been earning?

If you're not due back until after the summer, surely you already have a few months to get to grips with everything/the new routine? Start now and then you'll be ready in September.

I'd also re-evaluate whether your DH's new job is workable. It seems like an insane decision to take a job that keeps you away from home when you are so desperately needed.

You don’t know that you will be sick in a few months time, so you are taking the piss. Sick leave is not there to for extended maternity leave.

Have you accrued annual leave? Usually adds up to quite a lot and will be paid

https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/sickness-during-pregnancy-and-maternity-leave/

There's advice on this website that might help.

You can plan to take unpaid parental leave.

You can plan kit days for additional income.

You will have accrued Annual Leave that can be used to reduce your hours for a few weeks or extend leave.

It might be worth working towards returning to work? Making a plan may help it feel more achievable. What are your childcare plans and provisions? How is DH going to facilitate your return?

Nothing will necessarily change (certainly not with your address and autism) and some of your anxiety around work will be because you've been away. It may be that increasing contact and making plans to return helps?

Can you talk to your employer about using kit days to start a phased return so easing in more slowly?

You may actually find it feels like a break going back to work after caring for two under three if you have good reliable childcare sorted. The problem is that sometimes taking sick time off really is just making things worse by delaying things. I would see how you feel closer to the time.

What about rhe accrued annual leave you will have gained? Can you discuss with work taking that as a lump sum when you are due to return?

Also, its a long time between now and after summer. You may find that you feel differently by the time coming back to work actually happens, especially if you start planning how things may look in terms of routine now

Look at kit days to ease the return back gently as well. You may feel better about returning if you have the odd day im rather than suddenly back full time

@rosiebutterfly a 2 year old and an 11 month old - guessing most of the last 2+ years has been on maternity leave then?
From the employer side going off sick instead of returning from maternity might raise queries about your capability for work due to ill health. Adult ADHD and ASD diagnoses have reached such a level now that they may not carry a lot of currency as disability.
Think you would be better off working out a tapered return or resigning until the children are older. If they turn out to have SEN childcare might be a extra challenge to add to the mix.

You’re conflating two things. You don’t have to give 8 weeks notice of sickness. The 8 weeks is if you want anything to change regarding when you return. If you were wanting to change anything through a flexible working request it would be best to do that now.

You should plan on returning (including sorting out childcare) and discuss whatever supportive measures (annual leave/kit days then see nearer the time how things are. If you can’t cope, go off sick, but don’t plan to do that now - it should be a safety net. Presumably your husband’s new job starts sooner than that so you have chance to see how it works.

Unless he is an astronaut, in the military or on an oil rig, your DH should be stepping up as well.

I went from maternity leave to sick leave.
I was admitted to a mother and baby unit due to severe pnd when my daughter was 10 months old. I let my line manager know this. When it was 4 weeks before I was due to go back I let them know I was unlikely to be well enough to return.
I was on leave but still under the hospital when my maternity ran out and the ward said to speak to my GP about a sick note. They wanted me to self certificate for the first 7 days which wouldn't have been very feasible as I wasn't well enough to be making phone calls every morning. I spoke to the ward again and they sorted the sick note out. I had 3 1 month sick notes. I started a phased returned after the first month and by the end of the third month I was on 4 days a week. I made a formal request to drop down to 4 days a week.

I would think they could tell you to take a full year off and then accrued leave giving you time to be ready to return to work. You can’t say you’re coming back from maternity leave because you want to be paid but have no intention of returning to work. That’s taking the piss. Take your full entitlement then see how you feel

You may have holiday you can take, perhaps to enable you to be more part time. The structure of going to work and having the dc in childcare might be better for you, not everyone copes being a sahm

You would think wrong. They can’t tell the OP how long to take off on mat leave beyond the first 2 weeks.