Recruitment while on maternity leave

[Purplepopcorn]

Hoping to get some views.

My employee recruited an employee in my team after I went on maternity leave.

The new employee was not filling a maternity cover role, but was recruited as a permanent employee, seemingly because it was felt there would still be enough work to go round once I returned from leave. When I left, it was busy at that particular time, but not necessarily busy enough to introduce another full time employee, in my view. I returned to work full time.

Since I've been back, there hasn't been much work for me to do and I'm not sure if I'll continue to meet and exceed my targets, now that work is being sent through to more of us. It just felt slightly demoralising to return to work and sit at my desk doing nothing for the first couple of days.

I know that on return to work I am entitled to return to the same job, but I feel that part of my job has been given away while absent and I've got less to do. Any views on this most welcome!

[Purplepopcorn]

The second sentence was supposed to read, "My EMPLOYER recruited an employee ...[etc]"

[flowery]

You are entitled to your job back on the same terms and conditions, but a certain level of busyness isn't part of that.

When you say part of your job has been given away, is there a specific task or set of tasks which are no longer allocated to you? Or is it just that now there are more people doing your job, therefore less work available for all of you?

Have you spoken to your manager?

[Purplepopcorn]

Thanks flowery. Yes, the latter - there are more people doing my job and therefore less work available to me.

[Purplepopcorn]

Haven't spoken to my manager yet as I've only just returned, will see how it goes for the next few weeks and then maybe mention something. I agree that the job, terms and conditions are the same, but it just feels somewhat strange that I seem to have very little to do and if, for example, my workload (and therefore bills) half, it just feels like they have over-recruited and given away the work which I would be doing to someone else who they recruited permanently at the start of my maternity leave. Something about it just seems a bit wrong!

[flowery]

Presumably there is less work all round though, not just less for you and plenty for everyone else?

[Purplepopcorn]

Yes, I see your point. At the moment it is less work just for me because I've just returned back and the others have established caseloads. But I guess it will even out eventually. I won't be best pleased if it culminates in a redundancy situation though!

[Purplepopcorn]

I think I'm feeling it more because there are just 3 of us at the same job level (which includes the new recruit). Given that she was recruited shortly after I went on maternity leave, I feel that she did essentially "step into my shoes" and cover the work I would have done had I not left. I guess I just didn't like the feeling of coming back twiddling my thumbs, and the team managed the workload easily without me for the whole year (in fact the workload was slow). As they managed without me just fine, it makes me wonder if there is technically any need for me now as an extra head, given the workload will be largely the same.

[flowery]

Well, if it ends in a redundancy situation there’s no reason to think you’d be the one selected for redundancy- you’d be the riskiest person to make redundant probably!

[daisychain01]

Your next steps could be -

• get your CV up to date and put the feelers out for new opportunities either in-house or externally -take a 9-12 month view, to give yourself time to get back into work routine, while it's relatively undemanding in your current role, looking ahead to moving to an alternative role in the coming year. You'd be leaving on a positive note, due to advancement, which would land well with a new manager.
  

• book a meeting with your current manager and request them to support you in setting some near term objectives and priorities. If you've just returned from ML, you could couch this in terms of a return to work review, so it puts them on- point to give you a sense of direction.

[KittyMcTitty]

Give ACAS a call if you want to be clear on your employment rights. I think it comes down to what you can prove rather than what you feel.
You should raise it formally with your manager in case redundancies do occur and you are scored on your achievements and thus could factor into this.
I’m currently at risk on maternity and have been doing ALOT of reading!

[Purplepopcorn]

Thanks for all your responses. It's been a few weeks since I've returned and the work still hasn't really picked up. Even when it does, still don't think it is enough for 3 full time employees. I'm really gutted about this. I performed so well before I went on maternity leave and worked hard. It's also a job I love and, after having done a bit of job hopping to find my ideal role, I see myself being here long term. I've requested a return to work review to discuss this. I feel rather redundant. I'm also thinking that if this new recruit happens to have a child in the near future then she will be just as protected as I am. I really feel like I've been screwed over, having to compete for work in my own job because I decided to have a baby. It's not clear whether the new recruit would have been recruited had I not gone on maternity leave, but in the circumstances I think it unlikely.