# returning to work after adoption



## tigerbabe (May 26, 2011)

I'm thinking this way ahead but I will have a whole year off work for adoption leave however has anyone got back to work before the 12 month mark I'm just thinking money wise as well as child be in nursery that might be more beneficial to return to work. Has anyone got any thoughts on this or advice ? Thanks


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

I've returned to work after the 39 weeks purely for financial reasons. We are not entitled to anything other than child benefit and we have financial commitments as a result of dh divorce. Ss were aware of our plan from the start and it wasn't an issue. 
We started the settling in visits for nursery about a month before I returned to work. Ds only went for 2 days a week as I am a shift worker plus I only went back part time.
In the next few months I'll be returning to work again after my second spell of adoption leave. Again I'll be going back after 39 weeks on even less hours.
It does depend on the child but financially we had no alternative but for me to go back to work. Luckily ds1 settled well at nursery and we had no major drama. When I return this time we will not require childcare.


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## Daddyboo (Paul) (Dec 24, 2012)

My DW is part way through her year off.

Remember that if you're a full-time employee and you are entitled to adoption leave you will also be entitled to accrue your holidays over that period too.

My DW will take:

39 weeks Adoption Leave
8 weeks Unpaid Leave and then 
5 weeks Annual Holiday
Which takes us up to 52 weeks.

My DW will then return to work on a minimum of 15hrs per week for financial reasons - we saved up the money needed to cover weeks 40-47 unpaid.

I don't get paid a huge amount but with good budgeting and planning, you can stretch the leave.

As to going back early, you are entitled to 10 or 12 'keep in touch' days which are paid at full-pay, you can take these at any point during the year. << I'm sure someone will correct me on the numbers, I can't quite remember accurately at the moment.

Also, if LO has gone to school or nursery, there is nothing wrong with you going back to work during those hours as long as your workplace is flexible, and agree to this - it's easier if someone has done it before and set the precedent!


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## Miny Moo (Jan 13, 2011)

Just wanted to add into the mix that I intended to return to work after 6 months, then when son was placed that coincided with start of 6 weeks holidays so we decided to extend it to 9 months to cover holidays and time for him to settle back into school, as time when on though it became very apparent because of his needs he would not cope at all with me returning to work, so we had no choice but to cut our loses and manage as best we can on just hubbies wages, we do get adoption allowence though but it doesn't come anywhere near what I would have been earning.


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## Wyxie (Apr 10, 2013)

Likewise, we have had to cut our losses and manage on my husband's wages.  My daughter just isn't up to me returning to work.  She's also too young to have any sort of official diagnosis of her attachment problems, despite several professionals stating the opinion she has them, which means I can't apply for any benefits, despite her absolutely needing me at home.  We don't get an adoption allowance, somewhat annoyingly given we had biological siblings placed quite close together.  We are just having to cut back and make ends meet.  Putting Wyxling into full time nursery would be an absolute disaster.  She goes to pre-school, and she just about copes with the morning there, although there's quite a bit of fall out afterwards.  There's no way I could stick her in childcare in the holidays, and she desperately needs time with me and me doing the nursery run right now.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

I'm due back to work in 2 weeks which will be 11 months after little man come home. Luckily i am only going back for 3 days a week until he is in full time school. I think (and pray) that it is the right time for us both. I think we are both ready for a change even if I will break my heart for weeks.  I know we will both find it tough at first and im really not looking forward to it. tbh not returning to work would mean we would need to sell our house and move to another area further way from family so thankfully it isn't a decision at the moment we feel we need to make - but who knows what is round the next corner.


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

We couldn't manage on just dh wage due to his divorce settlement. His wage covers all the outgoings but would leave us nothing for food etc. Like wyxie we didn't get an adoption allowance although we had siblings placed close together. 
Thankfully as I'm a shift worker we don't need full time child care and won't require any when I return to work this time.
I'd love to be able to give up work but it just isn't an option for us at the moment.


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## Petite One (Jun 1, 2011)

How does adoption allowance work? Am I right in assuming that some adopters will get it at least agreed prior to placement? I thought that if you are not self-employed, than your company would allow you to accrue your holidays when on adoption leave whether you worked full time or part time?

I do believe the government should be doing much more to help adopters.


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## Loopylou29 (Mar 4, 2013)

Adoption allowance depends on various factors including the la, the anticipated needs of the child, any needs that become apparent, sibling group, diagnosed issues, adopters income. It should be reviewed annually and is becoming difficult to obtain due to the cuts.

As an employee you do accrue annual leave while on adoption leave, that is a statutory policy.

In 2015 statutory adoption leave will match statutory maternity leave, I think it comes into effect in September. There will also be an introduction of 5 days leave to cover appointments.


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

Just to throw in the mix you don't accrue leave if you work in a school otherwise you do.


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## Petite One (Jun 1, 2011)

Loopylou29 - thanks for that info. 

DIY Diva - that is unfair. School people work hard enough as it is!


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

DIY Diva said:


> Just to throw in the mix you don't accrue leave if you work in a school otherwise you do.


I suspect that legally you do accrue it, but you can't take it if it's inconvenient to the business.

My current line manager kicked off when I came back from leave because normally you can't take annual leave in the weeks before I went back, but I wanted to take the last week as AL and his predecessor had OKd it. He was too late to get me to change my return date though (and basically he didn't understand the system), if he'd complained earlier I'd have taken a week or two of the unpaid part (I took some AL first as that's how it works with overseas adoption, and the last week or 2 was the rest of the AL, after the 39 weeks paid).

A school might be nice and let you take the AL at the end of your leave, though they don't have to. I guess if you timed your return for the start of term though, the previous few weeks (whichever holiday it was) would be paid not unpaid?


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## tigerbabe (May 26, 2011)

Thanks all for the feedback I do indeed work at a school so of course would not accrue holidays however dh wages will be covering us both but I feel that when adoption leave pay is pittance in the last few months I will have to return to school at the start of a new year so will have to see but I don't want to do this for the sake of it our lo comes first and if doesn't feel right then will have to somehow make do.


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## Flash123 (Jan 29, 2006)

Spouses, if you are careful and cunning you can manage to squeeze an extra 3 weeks paid leave out of your school. I left the Friday before a half term but officially leav started the day I should have gone back after half term so I got paid for that week. Going back, my official return date was last Friday the last day of term but I don't return until a week Monday, the first day back after the holidays.


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

tigerbabe said:


> Thanks all for the feedback I do indeed work at a school so of course would not accrue holidays


Legally you DO accrue holiday. Everyone must, this is the law. What does your contract/the LA policy on adoption leave say? it could be illegal - my employer's policy was illegal when I started my previous leave because they hadn't updated it but I pointed this out and they did.

This is from the gov.uk website.



> The leave year and holiday entitlement is not affected by maternity, paternity or adoption leave. The employee still builds up ('accrues') holiday over these periods.


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## Mummy DIY Diva (Feb 18, 2012)

In schools you aren't contracted with a leave entitlement so you'd be accruing nothing. It might be illegal but if so every school in the country is breaking the law so it would need someone to seek legal advice and challenge it I assume or it might be another section of employment law schools are exempt from there's quite a bit.


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Teachers have a legal right to annual leave, though it's not in their contracts because they always have to take it in school holidays. It DOES accrue during maternity leave and the laws on annual leave and adoption leave are the same.

I think it may be different for those on term time contracts only though.

See this link.


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## StarryEyed (Nov 9, 2013)

thespouses said:


> Teachers have a legal right to annual leave, though it's not in their contracts because they always have to take it in school holidays. It DOES accrue during maternity leave and the laws on annual leave and adoption leave are the same.
> 
> I think it may be different for those on term time contracts only though.
> 
> See this link.


thespouses - it effectively means you don't actually get any leave because you would already be off. (i.e no extra pay either) The joys of not having contracted leave - its why so many teachers try to time their maternity/adoption leave so they get the maximum paid holidays.


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## thespouses (Jan 5, 2006)

Read that link - you can't be forced to take your leave during adoption leave.


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## StarryEyed (Nov 9, 2013)

Thespouses I did

you take it in the year in which your leave starts or carry it over into the next year. However we get more than 24 days worth of school holidays and any days carried over have to be counted in this time - I.e nothing extra.


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