Maternity cover - can I insist someone covers for me?

[justjax]

Hi - does anyone know if I can insist that someone covers my role when I'm off on maternity leave? I told my boss I was pg about six weeks ago and suggested he needed to get someone in to cover my job while I was away but that I would definitely be back.
I asked today if he'd made any arrangements to cover me and he said they would prob just try and 'muddle through'. It worries me that he's going to leave all my reports without a proper manager - and they're all quite young and inexperienced - and I think it's going to have a detrimental effect on the product and I'm going to come back to a whole heap of cr*p to sort out.
It also makes me feel totally undervalued and demotivated and makes me want to take longer time away. It's a big company and they're not paying me for those months I take off and I've done the jobs of two or more people for the last four years, saving them huge amounts of money, so why can't they use some of that money to fund a replacement or give someone else in the organisation a bit of a step up?
Do I have any right to insist someone covers for me in my absence? Or do I just have to let go - its not my problem?

[LaCiccolina]

Sorry, no u don't. The firm is entirely justified to decide how best to cover the work. You are entirely justified to explain why u think xyz (I would keep copies too) but they are under no obligation to do so. In fact having a temp/cover in no way guarantees your roles work, existence or anything else so for example (totally worst case) the role that is yours can still be made redundant etc whether covered or not.

Do what u can now within reason, keep copies. Take any files useful at a later date. It honestly is not your worry. Easier said than done I realise. Just leave things as best u can and try to forget it whilst away. You have keeping in touch time so u can use that if u wish eventually....

[justjax]

Thanks LaCiccolina - I figured that might be the case. And I do feel better about it having slept on it, which is always the way, isn't it?

[LaCiccolina]

Yeah. Makes u feel useless whilst u finish up. You won't give it a backward glance though as u fly down the steps for mat leave!

Plan ur leaving lunch etc make em buy u a gift ha ha ;)

[flowery]

I'm glad you're feeling better. How your maternity leave is covered (or not) is not your business, as you now know, and it's entirely your employer's decision what to do during the time you're off.

I really don't think you need to feel undervalued and demotivated though? They might change their mind anyway, but also, wanting to try and manage without paying for like-for-like cover is no reflection on you. There might be many reasons for not covering you with someone on a temporary contract, and unless you've got other reasons to feel undervalued, I really don't think you need to because of this.

You only told them 6 weeks ago, and the way you describe the conversation with your manager suggests to me that he hasn't really properly thought about it yet/discussed it with the appropriate people, so you may yet find they do something, or they may after you've actually gone and reality hits.