Girls i need your help regarding work!!!

[~*Leanne*~]

Right, i work full-time at the moment, i was a receptionist but since we merged they downgraded me to 'admin' which basically means running about after people, photocopying etc etc - at the moment there is sod all for me to do so i am basically sat at a desk for 8 hours a do doing nothing which is driving me mad! i work at our other office to cover lunch-times, holidays and also wednesday and friday afternoons where i am quite busy and so this levels it out - today i was told that i will no longer be going to the other office and so i will basically be sat starin into space for 5 days a week!!! its really upset me because i cant see a way out - i was talking to Midna earlier about it as if i take the maternity pay from them i HAVE to come back to work for at least a year - i really dont want to do this now but not sure i have much choice as we need the money.

Just wondering girls what you would do - also, if your a SAHM, part-time worker etc etc how do you manage? would i be better off working part-time somewhere else, if so, do i not get my maternity pay?! its all confusing

sorry

 

[Mrs_Jay]

You should be entitled to maternity pay anyway... or do you mean they're going to give you more than the standard? Do they expect you to come back full time for this as well? or can you request part time or whatever?
TBH tho i wudnt like feeling like you have to go back for a year coz ur not gonna know how you feel about that once LO is here. There is no way i wanted to go back full time after Jack and i now only do part time (4 days a week ) 9-3. And obviously ive had a lil bit of a pay cut to do this but we still manage. Sorry that isnt much help is it. But i dont think they should be able to "make" you come back

 

[moss]

I am often staring into space at my job, too, which is why I am here during the weekdays so much! I didn't like it at first and it can still be mindnumbing, but I am grateful now for the money and the lack of stress. When I do have a busy day it can be so tiring now, and it is only getting worse as the weeks go on. I am sure that by my last week here (week 38) I will be very happy that I don't have a lot to do all of the time.

As for having to come back, they can't MAKE you do anything. You are entititled to the statutory maternity pay whether or not you return to work. If you accept anything over and above that, which was offered to you as a company benefit, it will be in your contract whether or not you have to pay that back if you don't return. That is the only money they can withold/claim back if you don't plan on returning.

 

[~*Leanne*~]

agree with the others hun ..u get smp anyway they cant make you go back for the six weeks higher rate ...however if you decide not to return they could ask for the difference back xx and like mrs j says wait and see how you feel .. whats your OH earn ? you might b able to find out what tax credits you will get. I think you will get with child tax working tax and child benefit will be the equivalent to you workin part time tbh ..xx

hey hun well OH is on around £15,000 a year - he gets paid weekly but does different hours you see - he can work as much as he wants so we know that if we do struggle he can work a few more hours.

I on the other hand am only on £12,000 for the full-time i am working now, i get £800 a month and so i will be getting just over half of that with the SMP which isnt too much of a downfall....

...How do i find out how much child tax credit and child benefit i will recieve, or wont i until she is born?!

 

[Babylicious]

you may find that once baby is born you'll get child tax and working tax credits and it will prob work out no different than you working full time

 

[Mildly]

If you look on the tax credits website there is a calculator. I used it and it was very helpful in letting me know that my OH earns too much so we wouldn't receive any WTC or any assistance with childcare costs. It basically made up my mind to be a SAHM as we will be better off financially! I may decide to go back one or two days a weeks, if they'll have me, as I have no idea how I'll feel when Oscar is here. Either that or I will find weekend/night work so that OH can look after LO and we won't have to pay for childcare costs.

My company offers an additional 6 weeks at half pay but when I fille din my maternity leave form I opted to take this money at the end of my maternity leave. I figured at least I wouldn't have to pay any back if I decide not to return.

Good luck with your decision, it may be worth waiting until bubs is here before making it

 

[tuck]

A year seems an awfully long time to go back after mat leave, the 'average' is normally 4 weeks. I would recheck your firms maternity policy. You could always ask to take a career break to start straight after bubs is born, your company would have to consider this request and a career break can usually be anything from 6 months to 5 years.

 

[bunnymom1980]

It seems odd that they make you go back for a year! I've got to return to either my job or any job within the NHS for at least 3 months to avoid having to pay back the extra maternity pay.

You'll get SMP anyway, so it's up to you whether it's enough money for you to live on.

 

[Sherlock]

Er why do you have to go back for a year? They claim back the standard SMP from the Gov anyways. Its only something like 4 or 6 weeks IIRC you have to go back for. I forget the details. You can find out from various Gov websites on maternity pay though.

Unless they themselves are paying you more, then it would be different, but I doubt they will be paying extra from their own pocket. Check and see.

I'd double check that as I really don't think they can make you do that. My employer certainly was not going to do that had I returned to work after maternity leave. Also worth asking CAB for advice (or ACAS) on this.

 

[mary70]

i got full pay for 6 months and i had to go bk for 13 weeks in order that i didnt pay it back, i dint return to work so i had to pay some bk, but by the time we got childtax credits we werent that much worse off for me staying at home and it has been worth every lost penny anyway

 

[~*Leanne*~]

looked into it this morning and from what i can gather (reading the booklets HR gave me!) i get 6 weeks at 90% pay, then my firm give me an additional 6 weeks at 90% pay and then 27 weeks at SMP.

I am guessing that if i take the ADDITIONAL 6 weeks that is when i will have to come back to work for a year ???

if i just take the first 6 weeks and then the rest SMP do you think i will have to pay anything or have to come back to work?

 

[SarahH]

I really dont think they can make you go back for a whole year for a measley 6wks extra 90% pay!

 

[~*Leanne*~]

this is what it says

Should you fail to return to work for the Firm within 12 months of commencing your maternity
leave your contractual maternity pay will be repayable in full. If you do return to work within
12 months of commencing your maternity leave but leave within 12 months of your return
date, your contractual maternity pay will be repayable as follows:-
· If you leave within 6 months of your return date = 100% repayable
· If you leave 7-9 months after your return date = 50% repayable
· If you leave 10-12 months after your return date = 25% repayable

 

[SarahH]

this is what it says

Should you fail to return to work for the Firm within 12 months of commencing your maternity
leave your contractual maternity pay will be repayable in full. If you do return to work within
12 months of commencing your maternity leave but leave within 12 months of your return
date, your contractual maternity pay will be repayable as follows:-
· If you leave within 6 months of your return date = 100% repayable
· If you leave 7-9 months after your return date = 50% repayable
· If you leave 10-12 months after your return date = 25% repayable

Hmmmm..... they are a meany sounding company!! I would check with HR what happens if you only go back part time...

 

[Mrs_Jay]

that does seem along time just for an extra 6 weeks on 90% pay . but by the sounds of it if u just got 6 weeks on 90% pay and then SMP you wouldnt have to go back. but id defently ask about if u wanted to go back part time