I am halfway through my pregnancy and have begun discussing maternity leave with my H.R. rep. Thanks to paid leave, short-term disability and vacation, I plan to be out for four and a half months. However, there is a small possibility that a new job would work out for my husband, which would give me the opportunity to not return from leave and instead pursue a part-time opportunity.
I have scoured our employee handbook and paid leave guidelines, but cannot find anything about needing to pay the company back for medical costs or wages if I decide to not return. I want to ask my H.R. rep if there is any penalty for not returning, but my husband thinks this is a terrible idea. I disagree, but am I maybe not seeing something obvious?
My replied echoed Grays, so I share it with you “Do not ask your H.R. rep if there is any penalty for not returning. That will only alert your employer, who is not your friend, that you are considering quitting — which could jeopardize your employment and leave. If your contract doesn’t explicitly state you cannot quit for a given amount of time after maternity leave, you have every right to quit your job whenever you choose. Is it ethical to quit? There are lots of different opinions on that. But unless contractually stipulated, it is legal. If this question is really plaguing you, consult an employment lawyer.
Even though your handbook doesn’t say, I would caution you that there could be consequences for leaving your job, including having to repay health-insurance premiums or other benefits your employer provided during your leave.
