Workiing on mat leave- views?

[kilburnfrenchie]

Am 14 weeks pgt- due July, first baby. PLanning to take mat leave from end June-begining Jan 2014. In that time as well we need to move house- likely to be autumn - we are renovating a dump house to move into out of our 2nd storey flat. So it's not lined up to be 6 months of blissful nesting...

Anyway- was asked yesterday at work if i would be doing anything while on mat leave. I genuinely hadn't considered it. (and there was no implication that i should or shouldn't- it was a genuine question) One of my colleauges who has a 2 yr old did some remote work while on mat leave and apparently it worked quite well for her- and others have hated it. If i were to do it I would imagine it would be in the last 2/3 months of mat leave- and I have no idea what i would do for childcare.

Anyone done anything like this? did it work/ not?

[PrincessOfChina]

I don't think you're allowed to do more than 10 days of work during maternity leave. They're called Keeping in Touch days and you should be paid for them at your usual rate (in addition to your maternity pay).

If you do more than 10 days I guess you're technically classed as having returned to work so you'll need to make sure the amount of work you're able to do is worth more than the money you would have received as mat pay.

[TheTiger]

I might be wrong but I didn't think you could work while receiving SMP? I know that is in my maternity policy, but that may just be my company's rule.

[TheTiger]

X-post!

[bigkidsdidit]

I will be doing a bit, I'm an academic and our work never stops really. Not much, just keeping on top of rcent literature and checking emails, plus dealing with corrections / re-submissions of papers.

There is no expectation I suppose that I do this which is why it's ok, but I want to come back to a career and not spend another 6 months catching up, so I want to. I'm on full pay for the full 6 months too so I don't mind the odd bit here and there

[kilburnfrenchie]

Thanks for replies.

I haven't yet established what our mat policy is- but think it is statutory. I think I could come to an arrangment with them if I was to do more than 10 days. They wouldn't expect me to do more and not pay me for it in someway ( e.g. coming back earlier but on a very part time part time month or something). Or if they did expect me to do it and not pay for it it would be a very short conversation!

I guess I was more wondering about whether I'd really resent it/ need to focus on baby/house/ won't be able to think straight/ organise myself , or whether with a bit of thought and planning it will be just fine?

[kilburnfrenchie]

And the type of stuff I would be doing would mostly be do able from home.

[HomeEcoGnomist]

I think I could come to an arrangment with them if I was to do more than 10 days. They wouldn't expect me to do more and not pay me for it in someway ( e.g. coming back earlier but on a very part time part time month or something).

I'd actually class this as a phased return to work - ie your maternity leave has ended, but you have a temporary part time/flexible schedule until your full return. I have done this myself and also advised on other arrangements.

I think it can work well to ease you back into work - there is no doubt that your life will shift gears when you stop being on mat leave and get back to work, I think it gives you (and your employer) an easier way to work through this. It also helps out with some of the practicalities ie whatever childcare you have in place, there is increased illness in the first few weeks as they get exposure to new people - it can help if you have arranged say 3 working days in a week, as you don't feel quite so stressed about managing everything all together. It's also nice to start earning again...

My advice would be set out very specifically what you are going to do/when/how during the phased period, and what your eventual return to ''normal'' working is going to be (a permanent flexible working application is separate to this temp arrangement imo)

I think with planning, there should not be any major issues

[mamababa]

You can only do 10 KIT days without it affecting your mat pay. So even of you are happy to come to agreement I would think that being paid for more than 10 days and still getting SMP is illegal.

[Snowgirl1]

I agree with mamababa - any paid work over the 10 KIT days means that your entitlement to statutory maternity pay ends. If your organisation offers occupational maternity pay, it may not end - but you might want to check the policy first.

I'd recommend you don't make any decisions until you've had your baby. I told work I would be available for X,Y,Z and then found I resented being called upon - I knew I'd have to go back to work full-time after maternity leave and I found I wanted to spend my precious maternity leave with my baby. Before I had DD, I told work that I'd only take 6 months maternity leave and wish I hadn't - if I could go back and do it again, I'd take the full 12 months but didn't feel I could mess them around having told them I would only take 6 months. How you feel about working while on maternity leave might change once you've had the baby.