Maternity Leave - When to finish

[lauraloo09]

Hiya mumsnetters just looking for some advice - I had posted this on the pregnancy board but think I should have posted it here.

I am currently 27+5 weeks pregnant and been sufereing pelvic pain for the past week, been signed off sick and not due back into work until next wednesday. I had a physio appointment and she, along with my doc thinks I should start my mat leave early. I am due to take annual leave on 6th may and start maternity leave on 6th June, however I have been thinking of starting my annual leave after easter and starting maternity leave 3 1/2 weeks early, downside to this is I would start back on 14th Feb 2010 instead of 8th Mar 2010 however I can take accrued annual leave and return on 1st Mar 2010. My work, itself, isn't stressful but the people I work with have kinda made my life hell since I started in January, talking about me and saying the pain I am experiencing is in my head, and making the accusation that I am making up antenatal appointments so I dont have to work! Due to this I am leaning more to leaving early. Also someone in my company's payroll team mentioned something about being off sick within 11 weeks before my due date affecting how much I receive in maternity pay which is making me not want to continue on long term sick (also wouldn't like the sickness record this would create)

So I am wondering if I should start early or whether I should hold off and wait until may what would you guys do?

sorry for the long post x

If your doctor thinks you should start early I'd listen to that advice tbh. The only question is whether you actually start your leave early or get signed off sick for a while.

Your maternity leave will start automatically at 36 weeks if you are off sick then, but until then you could just get signed off sick.

Pregnancy-related sickness can't be used against you in any negative way, so doesn't 'count' in terms of sickness absence levels for disciplinary reasons or when giving a reference, or in an appraisal, or anything that could have a negative effect.

So the only thing you need to worry about being signed off sick is the amount you are paid. Do you get decent sick pay?

In terms of your maternity pay, if you are getting SMP only your payroll person is wrong. SMP is calculated based on your average earnings between weeks 17 and 25 of your pregnancy, so that's already sorted, and a cut in pay now for any reason won't affect it.

If you get more than SMP, then your employer might put different rules on it and you should check the maternity policy.

if people are treating you badly because of your pregnancy you can consider putting in a grievance, that's not on at all.

flowerybeanbag thanks for your response. My sick pay at the moment is full pay for 6 months and half pay for another 6 months which is great (I work for a local council).
I am entitled to both OMP and SMP and the maternity pay is weeks 1-6 90% then up to 6month I get half pay plus SMP then remaining 3 months is SMP only.

I would normally put in a grievance but I dont like the thought of doing that esp when I need to return to that office and apply to go back on a job share basis.

My head is all over the place with this, prob just start mat leave early so I dont have the 'guilt' I feel for being off sick..thanks again for your input x

6 months full pay when off sick? Go off sick!!! Don't feel guilty for doing so, you are not malingering or any such thing. If you have such a generous sick pay scheme don't waste your maternity leave, use your sick pay.

Your attitude of not wanting to be off sick is admirable, but your doctor doesn't think you should be at work and he/she is right.

I am having bad pelvic pain but I am SE, so have to work through it . Yesterday I spent almost an hour carrying 39 heavy boxes from one place to another 200m away. I am so paying the price today! I am finishing 2 weeks before the baby will be born (c section) and I have the 2 other DC to care for too.

Take what you can

suwoo sorry to hear about your pain and needing to work thro it, suppose I tend to forget how lucky I am having good mat benefits with the council I work for.

flowerybeanbag I have sent an email into my friend who works in payroll to get a full explanation of how being off sick will/could affect any maternity or sick allowance I receive, but I do know normally all employees get 6months full and 6months half pay on sick.

I have been in a similar situation to you, except that i have a nice employer/ line management. The only difficulty that I had was that my GP signed me as fit for light duties. Light duties just simply don't exist in a school.

I was told by personal that me taking sick leave would not affect my maternity entitlement. Being off sick on full pay means you get full pay.

I thought that all local councils had similar pay conditions.

If you get full pay when off sick, then even if the period they use for assessing income for your occupational maternity pay is later than the SMP period I mentioned earlier, you'll be fine because your pay won't go down anyway.

suwoo, don't you have a risk assessment. There is no way you should be carrying heavy boxes. The should certainly provide you with a trolley.

I find it shocking. My employer has moved mountains to try and protect me, even before the SPD started. (I do ICT support in a special school and my job can be quite physical)

Nope I'm self employed (although by a big company). If I don't move them, no bugger will.

I pulled a muscle in my stomach last time I was pregnant due to lifting tables

You need to get yourself a trolley. They aren't that expensive.

This is similar to the one I use I work.

www.bigdug.co.uk/ProductDetail.asp?ProductCatalogue=FLCDESC

Infact I had my trolley before I was even pregnant.