Maternity Leave & Job Application

gemnjam

Hi

I'm probably asking some very dumb questions but if anyone can help me I would really appreciate it.

I'm currently on mat leave from work and happened to be browsing the company's website the other day when I came across an ad for a job in a different department to where I currently work which I believe would suit me perfectly. I just wanted to ask if I am in a position where I can apply for this whilst on leave?

Also the position is a 12 month assignment so I'm guessing as its advertised now they want someone to start in Jan if poss and I was intending to be on leave until April but would alter this and go back sooner if the new position was offered to me. However, I only have to inform HR of a return date 6 weeks before I intend to go back so at present they have me down as being off until September (which is the latest i can return) and am unsure if this is likely to affect my application?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

notanewuser

gemnjam wrote: »

Hi

I'm probably asking some very dumb questions but if anyone can help me I would really appreciate it.

I'm currently on mat leave from work and happened to be browsing the company's website the other day when I came across an ad for a job in a different department to where I currently work which I believe would suit me perfectly. I just wanted to ask if I am in a position where I can apply for this whilst on leave?

Also the position is a 12 month assignment so I'm guessing as its advertised now they want someone to start in Jan if poss and I was intending to be on leave until April but would alter this and go back sooner if the new position was offered to me. However, I only have to inform HR of a return date 6 weeks before I intend to go back so at present they have me down as being off until September (which is the latest i can return) and am unsure if this is likely to affect my application?

Any advice appreciated.

Thanks

Apply (you've nothing to lose) and state somewhere that you would be able to start with 6 weeks notice.

ladybird2_2

Hello gemnjam! Im very glad that you brought this subject up as i was wondering about the same thing. My baby is 5 months old and from next month i wont get any Occupational Maternity Pay(OSP).
I was thinking about getting an evening cleaning job and from the information i gathered from the internet i discovered that if i work anywhere whilst on maternity leave my Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) will immediately stop! Now what am i supposed to do? I have a mortgage my husband is contracted to part time hours (although lately he was able to work overtime and did 40 hours a week), i would work to make enough money to pay our mortgage, bills etc. Obviously i cant afford creche (£45 a day where we live). But if i work i loose the SMP which i get when i dont work, so why should i work for money then? Please anybody if you have any ideas or suggestions help us mums on maternity leave!
Thanks!

notanewuser

ladybird2 wrote: »

Hello gemnjam! Im very glad that you brought this subject up as i was wondering about the same thing. My baby is 5 months old and from next month i wont get any Occupational Maternity Pay(OSP).
I was thinking about getting an evening cleaning job and from the information i gathered from the internet i discovered that if i work anywhere whilst on maternity leave my Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) will immediately stop! Now what am i supposed to do? I have a mortgage my husband is contracted to part time hours (although lately he was able to work overtime and did 40 hours a week), i would work to make enough money to pay our mortgage, bills etc. Obviously i cant afford creche (£45 a day where we live). But if i work i loose the SMP which i get when i dont work, so why should i work for money then? Please anybody if you have any ideas or suggestions help us mums on maternity leave!
Thanks!

Assuming your baby wasn't a shock surprise then the 8-9 month pregnancy is the time to sort all of that out (or even before that if you can).

If you can't live on SMP then you could always return to work. If you're eligible for tax credits you'll get help with childcare.

ladybird2_2

notanewuser wrote: »

Assuming your baby wasn't a shock surprise then the 8-9 month pregnancy is the time to sort all of that out (or even before that if you can).

If you can't live on SMP then you could always return to work. If you're eligible for tax credits you'll get help with childcare.

Thanks for your reply!

I was 7 months pregnant when we got the mortgage and we had to furnish it. I had no idea how much money i will be entitled to when i am on mat leave. My husband and i were working loads to raise the money for the flat, therefore our P60 looks quite nice if you know what i mean!

The problem is that they look how much you earned last year but you have to live now from what you are getting this year which is not great!

notanewuser

ladybird2 wrote: »

Thanks for your reply!

I was 7 months pregnant when we got the mortgage and we had to furnish it. I had no idea how much money i will be entitled to when i am on mat leave. My husband and i were working loads to raise the money for the flat, therefore our P60 looks quite nice if you know what i mean!

The problem is that they look how much you earned last year but you have to live now from what you are getting this year which is not great!

If you didn't get all of your furniture second hand then your priorities were wrong. Can you sell anything to tide you over?

It's easy to get information about maternity leave - if you didn't do enough research, then again, that's your fault and nobody else's.

ladybird2_2

I forgot to mention that my husband started his new job in June when the baby was born and that we dont have any family or friends around here whom i can ask to watch the baby for a few hours. so that makes it even harder.
I found out from CAB that if i do any work whilst im getting SMP then it will immediately stop unless i do it self employed, in that case that doesnt interfere with the SMP. Very strange but true!