https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 25 Jun 2026 19:56:26 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back/page/2#post-1859672 Fri, 12 Sep 2014 07:45:07 +0000 LemonLong 1859672@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>If you used donated time I can see how that would leave a sour taste in their mouth. You earned your vacation and sick time, but coworkers donated those extra hours out of the donation bank to help a coworker in a time of need, so those weren't earned. I'd be upset if someone used PTO donations with intent to get paid for not working and then not come back. Those hours could have been saved for someone else who might have a medical emergency and is planning to stay with the company however now those hours are gone. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back/page/2#post-1859669 Fri, 12 Sep 2014 07:44:17 +0000 MrsScottish 1859669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am in Canada as well, and I get topped up to 80% of my regular pay by my company ( top up of the 55% that EI pays). I have to return to work for 1 year after my mat/pat leave or I have to pay it back. That is pretty standard. It is not seen as PTO, sick leave etc. I know the states is very different in their mat leaves. We don<code>t have to pay back the EI, just the top up. I completely agree with the policy, or why would anyone who was planning to stay at home quit before the baby came? It is a huge chunk of money that companies pay out, and they don</code>t have to do it. They do it so that employees come back. My SIL owed 2 years for each of her mat leaves. Her last mat leave she did not take the top up as she didn`t know if she was going to go back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back/page/2#post-1859658 Fri, 12 Sep 2014 07:35:45 +0000 MrsSCB 1859658@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There was a similar situation at my H's work though with regular PTO. His office granted all PTO at the beginning of the year, so H's coworker purposely waited to quit until Jan. 1 so they would have to pay him the three weeks of his PTO. They paid out, but after they changed the policy to make people have to earn it gradually. I'm sort of torn on the mat leave thing. On one hand I can see why companies would want to make people pay it back if it's something they see as encouraging retention, or something you sort of earn retroactively (like you take the time and then "earn" it by returning for a certain amount of time.) On the other hand it does seem like it could also be looked at as a benefit to draw top talent to your company and if some people use it then leave, oh well, it's a risk you take. I do think this is a perfect example of why mat leave, like healthcare, shouldn't be tied to your employer. It would be so much easier if it were handled by the government and everyone had the same clear set of rules. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back/page/2#post-1859586 Fri, 12 Sep 2014 06:27:09 +0000 looch 1859586@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: that was exactly what I had asked our HR representative when I broached the question of the repayment. It would have to be at least on a case by case basis, because you're absolutely correct in that even if you do plan to come back, it might not be possible, for a lot of different reasons.</p> <p>As for having to earn your maternity leave, I still stand behind that. It is like an annual bonus, when you get that paid out to you, if you quit the day after it is deposited into your bank account, you don't have to pay it back. You might burn a bridge, yes, but that's the risk you take. I think everyone deserves the same base level leave after a year of service, 6 weeks, 3 months, whatever, and then, as you have more seniority, then it is up to the company to add more leave as they see fit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back/page/2#post-1858949 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:43:47 +0000 jedeve 1858949@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: you can only accrue so many sick days and then after that, if you haven't used them, you can donate to the sick fund. (Or you could donate even if you haven't maxed out your accrual). Then employees can use it with approval for any long term leave. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858857 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 19:10:06 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1858857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: this sick leave fund thing is news to me...how exactly does that work?</p> <p>my employer pays all of our STD and LTD benefits - no cost sharing there. I don't have sick days, just PTO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858733 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 18:19:47 +0000 JoyfulKiwi 1858733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: where I worked, an employee had to donate into the sick leave fund to receive the benefit of it, so I wouldn't think it'd be fair to "pay it back" in that case (because, do they take into account the 2 days each year I put in?) Also, would the policy specifically state it's only for parental leave? Because, if a person had a surgery and was out using sick leave fund and decided not to return they should need to pay it back too. Otherwise, I think that's illegal. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858730 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 18:17:59 +0000 Foodnerd81 1858730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know this isn't totally the poit of the original question, but to those who say you shouldn't say you are planing to come back when you are realy planning to quit- what if you are truthful and say you are not coming back, and something happens? The baby has some extremely expensive medical needs, your so loses his job, or something even worse? Then what would you do, you already quit? </p> <p>Disclaimer: I acted like I was coming back even though I planned to be a sahm. I told my boss as soon as the paid portion of my leave was up so she would have more time to recruit someone new while my mat cover was still there. Doing so, I did miss out on another month of company paid benefits. I don't feel bad about it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858695 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 18:02:57 +0000 jedeve 1858695@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: I think their theory is to make the sick leave fund (to which employees can donate) something you have to pay back if you quit. </p> <p>They aren't making me pay it back but it just had me thinking about what people thought was fair in general. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858618 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 17:15:20 +0000 daniellemybelle 1858618@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@jedeve: So wait, you get paid out your sick leave when you quit, but essentially you don't get it paid out (because you have to pay it back) if you quit after maternity leave?</p> <p>You should tell your boss to talk to an HR professional or a lawyer about that because that sounds illegal. You either pay out sick leave when people quit or you don't. And some states require that you pay it out while others leave it up to the company. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858578 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:56:06 +0000 jedeve 1858578@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Sorry for the confusion. I wasn't asking if *I* should pay it back. My "leave" was mainly my sick time and vacation time, and partially sick leave fund that another employee has donated to me before she quit. My boss told me she was going to rewrite the policy so you would have to repay the sick leave fund. That wasn't in my contract and I had planned on returning to work when I left. Even if I hadn't, they would've paid out my vacation and sick leave. And I am returning, just for a few months though. </p> <p>I was just asking if people thought companies should have that policy. I am of the "there is no such thing as a free lunch" mindset. Parental leave is a benefit, but it's not a free gift. It's money that the company would (theoretically) be paying out in wages otherwise. </p> <p>I think it's fair for a company to say if you work X long, you can receive X% of your salary. And if you work longer, you could receive more. But I don't think I there should be a return to work clause.</p> <p>Eta: I asked them to out a maternity leave policy in place when I was pregnant. They didn't. The place is not managed great. Part of why I am quitting. :-) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858572 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:54:02 +0000 alohaorchid 1858572@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@PawPrints:Just to clarify, in Canada, companies do not pay for maternity leave. The government does. All companies are required to do is hold a position (does not have to be the same position that the employee left) for up to 52 weeks.</p> <p>In my city, a lot of companies top up the maternity leave benefits that are received from the government. This IS used as a dangling carrot for the employee to return and in most companies, it is required to be paid back if you don't return to your position. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858563 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:51:36 +0000 PawPrints 1858563@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>In the US, we have an extremely business-friendly skewed view of what benefits a worker should have a right to receive. I'm sure most of you are familiar with the fact that the US is one of only a handful of countries in the world that doesn't require companies to give paid maternity leave. It's not a "gift" that a company gives you, and it's not solely intended as a dangling carrot to get you to return. On the contrary, as an important component of an overall benefits package, parental leave is design to attract top-quality employees to work at that company in the first place. It makes the company competitive with its peers in the industry for the best talent. Many of the top tech companies are discovering that fact, which is why Google, Facebook, etc. are on the leading edge in offering parental leave, and they're finding that they are having a much easier time retaining top female employees as a result. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858562 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:50:56 +0000 daniellemybelle 1858562@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: You are making sense. Where I disagree with you is if the company is not clear that they will want the compensation back in the event you don't return, I don't think it is fair for them to ask for it after you quit. If they are upfront, then that's fine, I don't think its WRONG for them to set that policy, but I do think the impetus is on them to be clear if that's their position. As an employee, I feel like I earn my benefits and they are mine to take unless I hear otherwise!</p> <p>Is it not a similar situation when someone has accrued vacation time and uses it at the end of their tenure at a job to basically quit and then still get paid for a while? Isn't vacation time also a benefit to reward employees for loyalty and to give them temporary leave from their job, in order to get R&amp;R and return? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858542 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:39:55 +0000 tequiero21 1858542@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think you should pay it back if it was stated in the policy. They obviously did not, so technically, I don't think they can ask for it back. Too bad for future pregnant women, tho. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858540 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:32:50 +0000 yoursilverlining 1858540@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@daniellemybelle: I definitely agree that a company should clearly communicate their policy, whatever their stance is. </p> <p>Your specific question is different from the general one in the OP; and I don’t think you should “have” to pay back anything a company has clearly said you don’t have to pay back (because then they’ve set a policy, although obviously a clear written one is much better). Personally, I do think it’s disingenuous to accept benefits directly tied to your continued employment and which you know are intended for a specific purpose (short duration of leave, before returning to work) when you know you do not intend to return to work before you go out on leave. I also think most employers won’t ask for that money back though.</p> <p>My opinion is that (in the absence of a policy/communication stating you can keep the benefits if you don’t return to work), if you quit while out on leave, you should have to pay those benefits back. </p> <p>Does this make sense? I'm getting tired over here, been a long day :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858522 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:16:05 +0000 BSB 1858522@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That's weird and my answer no.</p> <p>This is different but when I was relocated with my (new job at the time) company, I signed a contract on my first day that said, if I leave the company within 2 years that I would have to pay back the relocation cost. I think that is reasonable.</p> <p>ETA: This is just me (the workaholic in me), but I would feel weird telling my boss I'm returning to work after mat leave and then I quit and not come back. The only thing that might make me feel a little bit better is if I gave my boss like a month notice so she could start looking for an replacement. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858519 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:12:13 +0000 Freckles 1858519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: For DH, if you don't come back after your sabbatical (which is paid at 80%), you are required to repay it.</p> <p>I also think that as long as it's something you're not paying into (e.g., STD, sick leave, PTO, etc.) i am okay with a policy that it has to be repaid. But it has to be clear to the employee beforehand that they would have to repay it. </p> <p>@jedeve: I think it's dumb that they're only telling you now that you have to repay that amount (when it wasn't explicit in their policies before your case). I don't agree with that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858514 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:09:07 +0000 alohaorchid 1858514@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@tinyperson: Same with my company, and most companies I have worked for. I agree with this policy 100% </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858490 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 16:01:17 +0000 daniellemybelle 1858490@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: Do you think you should have to return it even if the company doesn't say you need to?</p> <p>I asked in a roundabout fashion - I think I said, "I intend on coming back" (lie) "but if something were to happen where I need to resign, will that affect my maternity leave benefits at all?" Their response: "Well, of course, please tell us as soon as you decide, but no, we've never asked anyone to pay us back." </p> <p>In that scenario, why would I have told them as soon as I'd made my decision and forfeit all that pay, when they told me I can keep it if I don't?</p> <p>I think it's up to the company to set expectations and communicate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858470 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:51:41 +0000 wonderstruck 1858470@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MamaG: I agree that the company should be clear about their expectations up front. Sounds like they are now that it has come up - too late for it to matter for OP and I don't think they should be giving her an attitude because they didn't have their policy set up well. But I can see why they'd be unhappy about it and choose to change the policy. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858461 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:49:32 +0000 MamaG 1858461@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: I agree with this and I think you gave some really good examples that are similar benefits that typically have contractual terms on the back-end. </p> <p>I think the flaw from how OP stated the scenario is that the company wasn't explicit in their expectations. I think their expectations are reasonable, they just failed to document such. And it's a good thing they now realize this and are making the policy clear for future employees.</p> <p>I know that I've been on the receiving end of tuition reimbursements and relocation agreements, both had very explicit terms for my performance post benefit (2 years in both cases, actually) or repayment was required. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858445 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:44:00 +0000 wonderstruck 1858445@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No company here is required to give paid maternity leave, it's an extra perk and I do think it's fair of them to require you to pay it back if you quit while you're on leave. Otherwise people will take advantage and say that they're coming back after having the baby when they have no intention of doing so, and that's not fair to the company. It would be a different story if we were talking about PTO/vacation/sick time, but it kind of rubs me the wrong way to say that maternity leave pay is 'earned' - other people who quit their job but aren't becoming parents at the same time don't get what is essentially free money given to them on their way out. I don't think it should be any different for parents - frankly, I think the attitude that it should be is the kind of thing that hurts pregnant women in the workforce. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858440 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:41:46 +0000 blackbird 1858440@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@yoursilverlining: totally agree. It's not like PTO that you accrue personally, I see it as good faith money to tide you over until you come back. I see it as a benefit to remain an employee. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858439 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:41:21 +0000 Alivoo01 1858439@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For my company, if I leave, I have to pay back all the benefits I received. So premiums paid for all my insurance (health, dental, STD, etc.). If I return and work for 30 days then quit, then I don't have to pay them back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858432 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:38:18 +0000 yoursilverlining 1858432@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes, I think you should have to return it, unless it’s only your PTO/vacation time that you are using. Paid parental leave is for a specific purpose; to provide you payment for a time that you’re out of work with the intent that you will return to work. I think it definitely has strings-attached, like tuition-assistance and plenty of other employer-paid benefits. </p> <p>Same with companies that continue to pay health insurance and other insurance premiums while you’re out on FMLA leave; that’s a financial benefit to their employee (you) with the understanding that you will return to work. </p> <p>The whole concept of STD is to provide a safety net to cover your basic expenses while you concentrate on getting better so you can get back to work; not to ease a transition into SAH. There are “return to work” programs and incentives for both STD and LTD. I don’t see any of that as “free” money. </p> <p>Probably not a popular opinion! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858424 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:35:41 +0000 daniellemybelle 1858424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No, especially not if it is STD because you pay into that like health insurance.</p> <p>I felt a twinge of guilt when I quit after taking every last drop of my paid 16 weeks of leave. But I bled for that job so I felt I earned it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858411 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:30:15 +0000 LaughLines 1858411@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It may have to do with how they account for it in their financials. Companies have to keep a liability on their balance sheets for unused sick/vacation time because in the event that someone quits they have to pay it out and that would be a cash expense and it would be against accounting rules to not accrue for that possible expense. As for maternity/paternity leave, they don't have to accrue for it because if I quit in the middle of nowhere while not-pregnant, they wouldn't have to pay me for unused maternity/paternity leave. So, by it's very nature it is accounted for differently in a companies financial statements. </p> <p>So - it is not handled the same way as vacation/sick time. That leaves it up to the company to decide how it is handled. They essentially are "taking a loss" for every day they pay you and are not getting work out of you (vs vacation days that are already built into their financials, so they've already booked that loss). So, if they want to eat the loss as a "perk" to the employees, that's their choice. If they've decided that is too expensive for them, they can adjust their policy. </p> <p>If we had federal laws about maternity/paternity leave in the US, this would not be the case and the leave would be accounted for differently on the books and wouldn't be up to the companies to decide. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858406 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:28:09 +0000 mrsog 1858406@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: At my company employees do get a varied amount of time depending on how long they have been here. I don't know the whole breakdown but I have been here 4 years and got 5 weeks paid where if I was here 1-3 years I would only gotten 3 weeks paid. I also was required to use 5 days (1 week) of vacation and then the remaining 6 weeks was unpaid.<br /> I do know of people here that have quit after their paid time off was finished and they did not have to pay it back. So I thought that was fair at least </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/if-you-quit-while-on-leave-should-you-have-to-pay-it-back#post-1858393 Thu, 11 Sep 2014 15:24:09 +0000 LuLu Mom 1858393@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mine is all my PTO, so no that is mine to keep, they give no additional paid leave. However, I personally think that they are giving you that as a gift, if you know you are going to quit or quit immediately following you should have to pay it back. They are using it as a way to retain an employee, I don't think of it as a benefit personally. I do think the policy needs to be stated in writing though and very clear to all leaving on maternity leave. </p>