SNA resigning after maternity leave- please advise

Rosie25

Hi
I would really like some advice if anyone can help me with this. I am currently on maternity leave, due back to work in Jan but would really like to resign from work to become a full time mum. However, while I have been on maternity leave, I have received full pay from the department of education, therefore my question is do I need to go back to work for a certain length of time or can they ask me to pay back some of this money??
Any help would be greatly appreciated

monflat

Rosie25 wrote: »

Hi
I would really like some advice if anyone can help me with this. I am currently on maternity leave, due back to work in Jan but would really like to resign from work to become a full time mum. However, while I have been on maternity leave, I have received full pay from the department of education, therefore my question is do I need to go back to work for a certain length of time or can they ask me to pay back some of this money??
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Does it say anything in your contract.

I don't think you do as some employers including mine out of "goodwill " top up your maternity benefit with your basic pay when you are on maternity leave.

Would you consider a career break as opposed to resiging?

Millem

Rosie25 wrote: »

Hi
I would really like some advice if anyone can help me with this. I am currently on maternity leave, due back to work in Jan but would really like to resign from work to become a full time mum. However, while I have been on maternity leave, I have received full pay from the department of education, therefore my question is do I need to go back to work for a certain length of time or can they ask me to pay back some of this money??
Any help would be greatly appreciated

Rose have you taken your unpaid mat leave (16 weeks) or your parental leave (18 weeks)? If not I would take these first and then apply for a career break (do you apply around feb with teachers?), then it would give you options.

Rosie25

I'll have to dig out my contract to check if there's anything in it- I don't think a career break would be suitable as we moved house during the summer, and as a result I would have to travel a bit to work now. I'd rather try and find something closer to home if I was going to go back to work

Rosie25

sorry I should have made the first email clearer - my maternity leave is finished and am now on the additional unpaid leave, I will have taken the full 16 weeks by the time I'm due back at end of jan

Millem

Rosie25 wrote: »

I'll have to dig out my contract to check if there's anything in it- I don't think a career break would be suitable as we moved house during the summer, and as a result I would have to travel a bit to work now. I'd rather try and find something closer to home if I was going to go back to work

If you could take a career break I would just in case (as an insurance policy) and especially if you plan on staying off and not working! Do you get 5 years?

Rosie25

I get 5 years for a career break but if on career break I wouldn't be able to apply for a job closer to home so would rather just hand in my resignation, which would then leave me free to apply for other jobs

Millem

Rosie25 wrote: »

I get 5 years for a career break but if on career break I wouldn't be able to apply for a job closer to home so would rather just hand in my resignation, which would then leave me free to apply for other jobs

Tbh I would suss out the job scene first in your area, from what I hear from our snas, jobs are thin on the ground. If you plan on staying at home I would take the 18 weeks parental leave (you take it in blocks so you might get paid for mid terms etc depending on how it falls) then you should get you summer pay. There is nothing stopping you looking for a job in your area over the summer then handing in your notice if you are successful.

Rosie25

Yes that would probably be the best thing - would I need to go back before the summer hols for a week in order to get paid or can the parental leave run straight into the hols?

Millem

Rosie25 wrote: »

Yes that would probably be the best thing - would I need to go back before the summer hols for a week in order to get paid or can the parental leave run straight into the hols?

Rosie I would email the dept for 100% clarification as I would hate to see you lose your summer pay. If you email you will have it in writing just to be sure to be sure (I don't think you do need to come back) for some reason though in my school snas work June ??

Rosie25

Great thanks so much for the advice - yes we are scheduled to come into work in June, so I would have to include the parental leave until the end of June. I'll email and get confirmation of the parental leave and summer pay first, and then take it from there - thanks again!

Millem

Rosie25 wrote: »

Great thanks so much for the advice - yes we are scheduled to come into work in June, so I would have to include the parental leave until the end of June. I'll email and get confirmation of the parental leave and summer pay first, and then take it from there - thanks again!

We have to apply for parental leave 6 weeks in advance so check your date and also check in what blocks you are allowed take it in eg blocks of 7 days etc.
If parental leave all works out I would still put in for a career break anyway just in case

Rosie25

Great thanks so much for your help