Starting a new job while on ML - do I have to tell new employer?

[brennannbooth]

I am expecting to receive a job offer this week but I am currently on maternity leave - I haven't discussed children at all in the interview process but am I (a) legally required or (b) morally required to say anything about this? I'm not intending to go back to my old job before starting the new one.

How long will the gap be before you intend to start work? If its only going to be a shortish time (couple of months) then I would say nothing.

I don't know whether you legally have to tell them, I would suspect not.

I would have been out of the office for 11 months.

Say anything about what? That you recently took maternity leave? No, you don't have to, and I'm not sure why you would be obliged to morally either tbh? What difference do you think it would make if they knew you had been on maternity leave?

I'm worried they would work it out by the ages of my children when they find out about them later in the course of being colleagues and then wonder if I was trustworthy

Although by then I suppose they might assume I took 6 or 7 months off and had been back to my old employer in that time

I don't understnad why this is an issue? Why would they care that you had been on ML?

Well if you deliberately conceal it and pretend you'd been back at work, then they found out, then yes it will affect their opinion of you I imagine.

You don't need to specifically notify them, but I would imagine it will come up in conversation quite naturally, as long as you don't attempt to conceal it specifically you'll be fine.

Thanks, I just didn't want to talk about family things at all at interview as they're not allowed to ask anyway and I didn't want to potentially put them in a difficult position by bringing it up. I have been answering interview questions about my current employer in the present tense because it is still my current job.