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  | monkey33   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 October 2008
 Points: 1236
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Topic: Working during maternity leave Posted: 12 March 2010 at 10:07am
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   I am currently on maternity leave with my employer for one year in total.  Does anyone know if I wanted to work from home part time with another employer during this time that I am able to legally?  (My PPL will have run out by the time I started and the leave I would be on would be unpaid).
 I don't want to annoy my current employer but as I am unable to do any work from home with them, I don't feel it would be an issue with them.
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  | lilfatty   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 22 August 2007
 Location: Waitakere
 Points: 9799
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 12 March 2010 at 10:21am | 
 
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   Unless you have a clause in your employment agreement stating otherwise, nothing in the Act precludes you from working for another company while on extended leave, your position still has to be kept open for the time you have requested extended leave. 
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     Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months)
I did it .. 41 kgs gone!  From flab to fab in under a year  LFs weight blog | 
 
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  | monkey33   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 October 2008
 Points: 1236
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 12 March 2010 at 10:25am | 
 
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   Thanks lilfatty    Wow looking at your ticker -  to lose 24kg is amazing well done!
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  | Peanut   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Christchurch
 Points: 3649
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 12 March 2010 at 11:45am | 
 
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   Yip, what lifatty said!
 I am a school teacher and work for my school and other schools doing relief while on mat leave. I also do reception for a Real Estate company. Its a great way of earning some money and trying new things.
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  | ItchyFeet   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 27 September 2007
 Points: 314
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 12 March 2010 at 10:04pm | 
 
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   You can work for another employer, but as you already have a primary employer, beware that you should be taxed at a secondary rate, even though you're not getting an income from the first employer.
 http://www.ird.govt.nz/how-to/taxrates-codes/earning-income-secondary-special-codes.html
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  | jaz   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 877
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 13 March 2010 at 7:50am | 
 
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   You can work for another employer but if you do any work for your current employer you are deemed to have 'returned to work' and this can be difficult if you want to return to your old job and they don't have a role for you. 
 Lots of people actually change jobs during their maternity leave period then wait until just before they are due back to their old role to resign. Often this is because they have found part time work or work from home that suits them a bit better.
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  | Lucky apple   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 13 November 2009
 Points: 1047
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 13 March 2010 at 6:45pm | 
 
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   Yep - I know a nurse who does weekend shifts while she's on mat leave.  Helps pay their mortgage!
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  | monkey33   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 October 2008
 Points: 1236
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 13 March 2010 at 9:37pm | 
 
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   Thanks for all the responses!
 On the tax thing jaz - as this would be my main source of income (until I return to my other job in Jan), wouldn't the tax code still be M & once I return to work, whichever role brought in more income would be taxed at the secondary rate?  I think maybe I have interpreted it wrong on the IRD website....
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  | Peanut   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Location: Christchurch
 Points: 3649
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 13 March 2010 at 9:43pm | 
 
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   I am slightly stressing about that now too, Monkey33.
 Although I did work part time in a different job while on Mat Leave with #1 and just paid normal tax and never got followed up at the end of the tax year when I filed my refund.
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  | monkey33   Senior Member
 
   
   
 Joined: 01 October 2008
 Points: 1236
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 13 March 2010 at 9:52pm | 
 
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   That's good to know peanut!  Am sure it would have been brought up when you filed your refund if you owed them any $$.
 
 
 
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  | jaz   Senior Member
 
   
 
 Joined: 01 January 1900
 Points: 877
 |  Post Options  Thanks(0)  Quote  Reply  Posted: 14 March 2010 at 10:23am | 
 
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   I can't see how you would pay secondary tax if you had a different job while on maternity leave. I thought secondary tax was only if you were doing two jobs at once. You can look at the IRD330 form for instructions though, this is the one you complete for your employer and there will be a copy on the IRD website. 
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