I once had a really really awful job. I was pregnant and they hated pregnant employees as it was a hindrance on their small family run business. They’d even been taken to a tribunal before (and lost) for a previous staff member who they got rid of when they found out she was pregnant. They obviously didn’t want this to happen again so they just tried to make my job as difficult as possible, clearly hoping I would leave of my own accord. Some days I was so close but I wouldn’t have qualified for SMP if I left, so I stuck with it. For some reason, towards the end of my pregnancy, my boss started being ‘normal’ with me again, took me out for lunch etc etc. Not sure what the idea was behind it (there would have been an ulterior motive as she was a nasty cow) I went along with it all. I told them I’d definitley return from maternity leave after 9 months. I was well clued up on my rights as a pregnant working woman as I’d done a lot of research, so I knew if I got signed off by the doctor in the 4 weeks before my maternity leave was due to begin, it would automatically kick in. One morning I’d had enough so I phoned the doctors and told them I was under a lot of stress at work and she signed me off. I literally sent my boss a picture of the sick note and said I’d been signed off so wouldn’t be back until my maternity leave finished. She was furious as they hadn’t yet organised anyone to fill my role. Then, when the 9 months was nearly up, I told them I’d decided to take the 12 months (the last 3 months is unpaid) Then at 11 months I just posted my notice to them saying I wasn’t returning and that they owed me £2500 for holiday I’d accrued whilst on maternity leave
I never heard from them again and I did get my money.