Applying for a new job on maternity leave

lottiemad

Hi looking for some advice.

I am on mat leave until may 2013, and my job is relocating and I am not going. Person in to cover my mat leave ones on mat leave feb 2013. 80% of job not being covered by my mat leave but a 3rd party. Not likely to change.

Been told by my company my position will still be there until June and they are going to get someone else to cover mat leave.

I have seen a job, local and part time, which sounds interesting and up my street. Have filled in on line application form and closing date is 10 dec. (government job)

If I am lucky to get and interview, do I need to tell them I am on mat leave and do you think they would hold the on till May?

zzzLazyDaisy

lottiemad wrote: »

I have seen a job, local and part time, which sounds interesting and up my street. Have filled in on line application form and closing date is 10 dec. (government job)

If I am lucky to get and interview, do I need to tell them I am on mat leave and do you think they would hold the on till May?

1 No you do not need to tell them you are on maternity leave, and you cannot be treated less favourably because you did not tell them. But...

2 You would almost certainly be expected to tell them when you are available to start (notice periods etc). How you would explain why you cannot start until May 2013, without also explaining that you are currently on maternity leave is hard to imagine.

3 Would they hold the job open? If it is a government post, and they decide that you are the best person for the job, then there is every possibility that they might, and cover the post on the meantime - in the same way that they would cover the post of they appointed a pregnant lady. (In theory this should be the same across all employers but for fairly obvious reasons, many private sector employers would appoint a 'better candidate' to the job, and you could well have hard time proving the maternity leave was the issue).

lottiemad

Thank you. I have asked my current company due to the nature of my job changing so dramatically since I have been on leave-4 months, would the position be made redundant sooner, but they seem to think they will get someone else in to cover and go with move, so I cannot really see what I would be going back to. Our HR are not helpful at all and keep confusing me as to what can and cannot be done. If it was not for the fact the 6months I was in my role this year were bloody hard work and the company are due to pay bonus in April, which I think I would be in line for, I may be able to start sooner.

Think I need to give it some thought, put no harm in putting in the application.

zzzLazyDaisy

When you say that your job is relocating and you are not going.....

I am not sure if you feel this is relevant to your question, or if this was by way of background information only.

But if you feel it is relevant to your question, could you give a few more details? The reason I ask is that I am confused as to why the employer is covering your job after it relocates, if you will in fact be redundant when the job relocates (the fact that they will continue to provide maternity cover for your role suggests that the job will not be redundant).

lottiemad

Yes the job is relocating to Coventry, but I am not willing to commute and as a family we cannot relocate as hubby's business is here and cannot move without starting from scratch.

I suppose I am confused as 'my' role has changed so much, they plan
to get someone to cover role and move with it to Coventry, I don't know what job I would be going back to for 7 weeks when the current site will close for good.