is this true

[emy1]

does anyone know if this is true i heard the new law is that a mother of small children can have up to 5 years away from work and the company will keep there job open sounds to good to me

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thats for such a quick reply i need to get my facts straight before i ask my company i have just returned after 10 months maternity leave and miss the boys really bad they told me i have to work 6 months ot pay back all my martenity pay which is fair enough

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thats has not cheered me up my company are so bad they are a big company to they wouldnt have missed the money when did you leave? are you a sahm now?

Career breaks do exist, some companies have offered them for years, but they are discretionary schemes rather than a legal right afaik. I took a 5 year one as an extension to maternity leave from a well known retailer. However I was not automatically entitled to a job at the end of it but would have got priority consideration for any vacancies at the appropriate level. My initial request for a year-long one was declined as they would have had to guarantee my job under the terms of their scheme. It is good for continuity of accrued benefits, such as holiday entitlement, on return and extending membership of Pension scheme by up to 2 years from end date.

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emy1

Did they tell you up front that you had to work 6 months more to keep the money ? If not, they can't demand it back. Even if they did they can only take back anything they paid over and above your Statutory entitlement (excluding any benefits in kind)

yes they did tell me in the beginning but a friend of mine who works with me didnt return and they never asked for the money back. i really feel like a bad mum leaving them my 3 yr old dosent understand why i keep leaving him and i am so tried when i get home i just havent got the energy to play with them

They may not ask for the money back but if they made it a clear condition of your maternity pay that you had to come back for 6 months to retain it then they would be within their rights to ask for it back.
However as Lizs says they can only ask for the return of any enhanced maternity pay they gave you - your statutory pay is yours to keep whether you go back or not.
I have to pay all mine back if I leave within 3 months and half of it if I leave between 3 and 6 months of my return.

No, it's not true.

Enlightened companies may have it, but it's certainly not the law.