Unhappy��

[laura20]

I currently work as a head receptionist in a hotel and I'm did to leave in maternity on the 6th October. I hate working there any more an dont think I can wait until then. If I looked for another job now would I still be paid maternity pay? I'm just thinking places will reluctant to take me on being so far pregnant?

[flowery]

How pregnant will you be on 6 October?

You can start mat leave at 29 weeks so if you haven't already, bring it forward as far as you can.

What about holiday? You continue to accrue holiday throughout maternity leave so see if you can take it all beforehand to bring the date forward.

What's the problem at work? If you can explain we might be able to come up with things to make it more bearable in the short term.

If you get another job you won't get SMP but you'll probably get maternity allowance, which is the same but without the 6 weeks at 90%. But realistically you may struggle to find something else if you're visibly pregnant.

[laura20]

I will be 3 weeks from my due date when I start mat leave, I don't want to take any more before as I want as much as I can afterwards.

I have 2 weeks holidays left to take which I have added on to the beginning so I'm really only taking one week mat leave before.

The problem is the other head receptionist, 2 other girls have just left because she does the rota around her. She cant work weekends apart from a middle shift on a sat while we do every other shift.

Our reservations manager was on holiday so I asked can I do her job for the week and it needs to be covered which we usually do between us but would be easier for me sitting down and not standing up on the front desk. She went back to the reservations manager an said I'm not having her sit on her ass all week. I'm finding it hard to bear.

[flowery]

If you hate your job so much and are considering looking for something else I was assuming you weren't planning to go back afterwards?

In what way is your colleague the problem? Just the fact that the shifts are organised around her requirements, or something else?

Is the reservations manager your boss?

[laura20]

I thought I had to go back for a certain time after mat leave or I have to pay my mat leave allowance back.

I just find it hard to work with her, no the reservations manager is not my boss but we have been to higher management and nothing seems to be done about it. Sometimes I think is it just me being unreasonable but I don't think so when 2 other girls have just left because of her. It's a very tense atmosphere which is causing stress and I dread going to work. Plus with the other 2 girls leaving they are constantly ringing me on my days off to go in and cover shifts, which we don't get any extra pay for!

[LIZS]

You only have to pay back anything over and above SMP entitlement, paid at discretion of company and stated as conditional upfront. As long as you started there before you became PG you will be entitled to SMP , if you quit now it will only be Maternity Allowance. Who chose 6th October , you could opt to start ML earlier.

[flowery]

If you get more than statutory maternity pay you may have to pay it back, but check your employer's maternity policy to find out.

If you only get statutory you don't need to pay it back at all.

"Just find it hard to work with her" is a bit too vague to give specific advice about making it more bearable.

Just bring your maternity leave forward as far as you can, then it will only be a matter of weeks before you go off, and then focus on that and try to let whatever this colleague is doing drift over you as being irrelevant in the big scheme of things. Most things are bearable if you can see an end in sight.

[laura20]

Thanks, I chose that date because wanted more time off afterwards.

But now I'm maybe thinking to bring it forward and look for new work to go back to after mat leave if I don't have to return.

[CaptainSweatPants]

You don't get paid for working extra shifts?

No wonder you're miserable

Could you afford to resign now?
Are you planning on being a Sahm anyway?

[flowery]

Yes definitely don't work any extra shifts unpaid!

[LIZS]

If you are not due until end October are you still within the qualifying weeks for the SMP calculation ? If so, you need any extra shifts paid as this will increase the average that the initial 90% payment is based on .