Maternity Leave-Advice Needed

[Mummy2bee]

Hi Guys,

Just wanted your advice on this one. I am a public servant and am on a contract that expires in July I am pregnant and have told them I am going to resign when the contract ends. However now they have offered myself 3 months paid maternity leave and a Permanent job after another 12 months unpaid maternity leave I dont know if I will want to go back to work once bub is born and in the start that wasn’t the plan however I wasn’t offered Paid 3 months maternity pay either then. I have a feeling I was initially entitled to the 3 months paid maternity pay in the start and they didn’t mention it because we are on a workplace agreement and is very hard to understand and they just changed it and I am not in the union. Basically I want to know if I dont want to return to work after the 12 months can they penalise myself.

I know I should ask my boss but I dont know how she will handle it??

Suggestions would be great!:D

[JenNT]

I would take it...thats 15 months off work with a job to walk back into. I also think you would've been entitled to mat leave anyway and usually in the public sector say you were to fall pg again in that time you can extend the mat leave by another 12 months again.Best you clarify with you workplace before making the decision to resign:D J.

[Mummy2bee]

Yeah I’m thinking that I would have been entitled too. They where kind of dodgy about it all, first offering me a full time job and No paid maternity Leave and then 3months paid and also the unpaid. It just doesn’t seem right. I think I might join the union and see what my rights are and whether I am legally bided to return to work or not after the Maternity Leave. It’s just very confusing and I feel kinda bad accepting the job and not being sure whether I will go back? It’s just so far away and Im not that keen on going back full time

[JenNT]

im sure they are obliged to still offer you part time work if you can't do fulltime. Sorry i am not much help but i am sure someone will post soon that knows.:smiliedance:

[fee's]

I work for a Union and while some will give you answers if you agree to join others don't deal with any issues that arise prior to your joining. The resoning behind this is that members pay fees for this advice and assistance and wouldn't be happy that someone can 'piggy back' off their fees when they now have a problem. Each state has a department of industrial relations or somthing that will be called something like that, that you can ring and get advice from. In Queensland the advice section is called 'wage line'. While I do encourage you to join the relevant Union (obviously) you may find it won't be that simple to get info and I would hate for you to be put of by that experience. Good luck. Without knowing the details of the agreement you are employed under it is 'normal' for anyone with 12 mths service to be entitled to paid and unpaid maternity leave regardless of their return to work arrangements.

[Mummy2bee]

I just rang my union and I must have got a really nice lady cause at first she advised I had to join before she could discuss anything. And that I would have to pay 3 months fees if I had an issue but I advised her I had to make a quick decision and I was going to join straight away and she ended up giving me all the info I needed right then over the phone :D I will join 2morrow though.

Basically she said if I am an on going employee and have been there 12 months when I take leave I am entitled to Maternity Leave. In regards to coming back she said if I am just signing on to be a Permanent employee she could see no reason why I would be binded to come back if I dont feel able. But to check with Hr first just to make sure. She gave me another number that deals with discrimination and the grey areas of Mat leave. I spoke to them and they advised in my situation it would be in my best interests to take the permanent job. And I could most likely go back part-time as well unless they had a really good excuse to how I returning part-time would harm the company. They also told me to check with my HR but couldn’t see why I couldn’t go back to work for one day and quit if it came to that.

I really just wanted to get my facts straight before I sign up for permanent work but I am going to take the permanent job but I will be reading the terms and conditions very closely and making sure I have everything in writing.

Now is just the tricky part of calling HR and seeing whether I will be penalised if I dont come back to work after the Maternity Leave? I feel bad they are offering me this opportunity and I feel like I am taking advantage I just dont know what the future holds? I might want to go back but I might not?

[fee's]

I am glad you got someone nice and not too narky.
I reckon you should keep as many options open as you can. good luck :fingerscrossed:

[Mummy2bee]

Just thought I would give you an update! Went to work today and was given the permanet position today! I have no binding contracts I have 12 weeks paod leave and 66 weeks unpaid with the option of whether I would Like to come back to partime or at all. I was really praying for this looks like I have really been blessed this week :) Thank you both for your advise when I needed someone to vent too :yelclap:

[Fairyfloss]

I am superised that you had not joined the union, before if you have been working before for that long since you can claim it from tax.

[madvoice]

You are also entitled to take the 3 months of full pay as 6 months at half pay to stretch things out a bit. I would take it personally :)

[Hannahsmumma]

Just a quick question.
Exactly who qualifies for PAID maternity leave? Is this a state by state thing or is it a personal choice that each employer can offer (or not offer). I just read the thread about 3 months paid and 12 months unpaid mat leave. I knew I would get tje 12 months unpaid leave but how would I know if I would get paid mat leave also? I have been full time with this company for 5 years and am not with a union.

Thank you anybody who can shed light on this for me. :o

[Odessa]

Just a quick question.
Exactly who qualifies for PAID maternity leave? Is this a state by state thing or is it a personal choice that each employer can offer (or not offer). I just read the thread about 3 months paid and 12 months unpaid mat leave. I knew I would get tje 12 months unpaid leave but how would I know if I would get paid mat leave also? I have been full time with this company for 5 years and am not with a union.

Thank you anybody who can shed light on this for me. :o

Hello TTC :)


You will only receive paid maternity leave if it is provided in your award, enterprise agreement or separate contract of employment or company policy. I recommend asking your employer for clarification, but it is generally at the employer's discretion whether they offer paid maternity leave or not. HTH :thumbsup: