Return to work as casual

[Blefunk]

does anyone know if there is a penalty upon returning from maternity leave and changing my status to casual from full time?

[Meriwhen, ASN, BSN, MSN, RN]

I would check with your HR department to see how that works, as they will have the most accurate answer. What my workplace does isn't necessarily what YOUR workplace will do.

For my workplace, there usually has to be a open PRN position before the FT/PT person can transfer and change their status. No penalties involved...however, once you become PRN, then you drop lower in the pecking order and are more likely to get floated or cancelled, even though you were once a FT/PT employee.

[loriangel14, RN]

What kind if penalty did you have in mind? Where I work there has to be a posting for a casual position.

[Jolie, BSN]

Did you utilize FMLA when you went on maternity leave?

FMLA allows employers to recoup the cost of benefits paid on behalf of an employee on FMLA if she does not return to work in a benefits-eligible position for a specified length of time following FMLA.

This is to protect employers from shelling out substantial amounts of money towards benefits for employees who really have no intention of returning to work following a leave. Not all employers pursue this, but the law allows them to do so. Human Resources can let you know the likelihood of your employer requesting a pay back.

If your leave was not FMLA, but rather based on a maternity leave policy then you will have to check with your employer to learn their policy.