Work changing rota and no way it will fit in with having a family.

[whizzylala]

I work in a clinic with a rota system, it is open 12 hours a day 7 days a week. When I go off on mat leave in March I will have been here two years and throughout this time have had a regular working pattern every week. I already have two DCs so obviously this has been important with childcare arrangments.
I have been told today that this system is unmanagable and we are going to be put on a roling rota from January, this means shairng weekends which I don't mind although it is difficult as hubby works every Saturday but also our weekday shifts are completely random too. This is a complete nightmare for me as I will, once I get back from mat leave, have 2 at school and a little one in nursery. (and a DH working full time who can't really help with afternoon pickups and no family nearby) I have expressed my horror but as the only one here with small children and apparently no other solutions to make it fair it seems the idea is fixed. I have been told that I can swap my shifts with others but I can't rely on this. I also work in a couple of other places too and again this does not take this into account.
This could be a deal breaker for me but obviously I have to go back as I am getting better than SMP when I am on mat leave.
I am totally gutted.
Does anyone have any bright ideas of how this could be managed better?
When I started there was just a verbal agreement of shift patterns and nothing was formalised.
Thanks.
Whizz.

[Twilightfan1]

Whizz,check your works policy on mothers returning to ork after having a baby. As I am pretty sure, that by law, companies have to accomodate mothers with new babies, where possible, or offer an alternative within the company.
I also work on a rota system, but we never know from one week to the next what we are working, except me. I know my job is different to yours, I work in a care home with adults with physical and learning dissabilities, and the home has to be staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even if that is with a member of staff on a sleep in. Again, I had a different situation than you, my dh was/is working full time and before i was pg I was also working full time. After I had dd I went back to work part time on the understanding that I only work evenings and weekends, and if I did sleep ins then it could only be a friday or saturday because of the time dh has to leave for work. We couldn't and didn't want to put our young child into a nursery. A lot of my colleagues are not happy that I only work evenings and weekends, but as my boss has pointed out, im working shifts no one else wants to work.

This might not be very helpfull to you, but I strongly recomend you read that policy, and if they don't have one then ask them why not!

[Twilightfan1]

I meant returning to work, not ork....

[whizzylala]

I can tell you now there is no policy. I have only just managed to negoitate some vaguely reasonable maternity benefits and that was a struggle.....it means that they would be creating one for me so basically can put in it what they want! They understand my point of view but can't see a way around it themselves.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Whizz

[seeyoukay]

If you've been there you could request flexible working which could include fixed shifts.

The business can claim that business need means they need the new shift pattern for what ever reason. So they can push it though (as I've had to do in a few places).

Family commitments should be taken into account though but not that you also work somewhere else and it will clash.

[evolucy7]

Just a thought, you say that you have to go back as you will be getting better tham smp while on maternity leave, is that actually a condition of your maternity pay package that you have to go back? As often it isn't and therefore you could wait and see if it could actually work after maternity leave and if not resign, but would not have lost the extra money while on mat leave.

[whizzylala]

No, that is part of the terms.... I have to go back.
As I see it there is literally no way I can do a different shift pattern every week so eitehr they will have to accomodate that or I will jsut ahve to struggle through a few months some how and then stop. Feeling less anxious about it as there really is no other way, I have thought about it quite alot! Would go down the request for flexible hours I think.