Return to work after 12 months maternity leave and no role!

[busymummyof4]

Hello,

I would really appreciate some advice if some of you have been in a similar situation. I am going back to work after taking 12 month maternity leave, I work as a senior manager in a large company. Prior to my maternity leave I was working 4 days a week, I asked if I could come back 3 days a week for 5 months and then resume a 4 day week, and this was eventually agreed by my employer (it was a long and difficult process). At that point during my maternity leave I was informed that my role no longer existed and that the company would be finding me a new role. Now as I am going back to work I am told that no suitable role exists, and that I am going to be given some sort of 'project work' (!) whilst I work a shorter week, and that a more permanent role will be found for me when I go back to a 4 day week.

This has left me wondering whether my company is allowed to do this, or whether they have an obligation to find me a similar role to the one I had before going on maternity leave as soon as I come back- or does the fact that I am reducing my hours-even if it is only temporary- mean that my employer does not need to give me a similar role to the one I had before my maternity leave as the terms of my contract have changed?

Thanks for your advice!

[Grevling]

As you've been off over 6 months they have to find you a suitable job of similar standing etc. If your role doesn't exist then project work may sound like it covers that. The alternative is they can make you redundant if your role no longer exists.

[flowery]

Your company is obliged to find you a suitable role on the same terms and conditions as you were on previously. However you've said you don't want that.

They are under no obligation to find you some work you can do to fit in with your requested 3 days a week, or to agree to the request being temporary and finding you another job on different hours again later on, however they've agreed to do both these things.

Sounds pretty good to me tbh.