Changing jobs while on maternity leave?

[YanknCock]

I wonder if anyone has some idea on how this works. I went on maternity leave in June and told them I would return after a year. However, I absolutely hated my job and really never want to go back there, so was thinking I would look for another job and start it in about March 2010 (just when the maternity pay runs out). Current job is only paying me SMP, so I wouldn't have to pay any of the maternity pay back.

Anything I haven't thought of here? Do I just give my current job once month notice that I'm quitting while still on maternity leave?

I started looking for a new job while on maternity leave. My return date was end of september, I started seriously looking around june/july, but having been in a relatively junior position, there was not much coming up where people would have wanted to wait 3 months for me.

As it were, I went back to the old job I hated, 2 days after my return had my first interview, another 2 days later my second, and handed my notice in a week after coming back.

Having accrued all my holiday during maternity leave I didn't even have to keep working there for long.

So look for something else by all means, but don't quit before you have something new.

Yank, I have just done this. Went on maternity leave but wasn't going to return. Started some freelance work so had to hand my notice in.

Gave one month's notice and was also paid my accrued holiday.