Offered a lower paid job on return from mat leave

[PinkPlaid]

Hey all,

I'm feeling a bit aggrieved. I returned from maternity leave recently and my manager suggested that my mat cover take my role, and that I cover a lower-paid colleagues' maternity leave instead.

I'm hoping that she was trying to be helpful, but she also managed to mention how efficient my mat leave cover is in nearly the same breath. She's clearly very good, but I am very capable of doing the job to the same ability and feel a bit downhearted to come back to this. I had hoped they might've missed me!

I know there's always a danger that your cover will be more competent than you, but I'm not a slacker or rubbish by any means. My feeling is that my mat cover is child-free, and my boss has openly admitted a preference for hiring people without families in the past. She is child-free herself.

Any thoughts on whether I should just carry on with a stiff upper lip, or to say something more about this? I want her to feel reassured that I'm not going to be flaky now I've got a baby!!

[IMissGin]

How long have you been off? Are they still proposing to pay you as before?

(I've just started my mat leave and all of this type of thing worries me so really sorry it's happening to you.)

[disappearingfish]

How long have you been off? That affects your rights.

Is this a suggestion or the only offer you have been given? If the former, then can you just turn it down?

[SuffolkingGrand]

No, no, no they can't do that! Don't whatever you do agree to anything! Your job is your job and they can't change that regardless of how efficiency or lovely or- more significantly - non-pregnant your mat cover is. You can get free legal advice from Pregnant Then Screwed (Google it). They helped me a lot when I was made redundant while pregnant, because I was pregnant. Don't let them take advantage! Good luck xx

[PinkPlaid]

Thanks so much for your replies. It was offered as a suggestion off the back of the comment about how efficient my cover had been. I've declined it but I still feel like it's hanging over me because my manager said perhaps we could 'swap' roles in 6 months. My mat cover is doing the other colleagues' leave next. My colleague is understandably worried!

[disappearingfish]

If you've declined then just stick to your guns! It's your job.

[ThePinkOcelot]

I think they would be very silly if they tried to push this!