My job has screwed me over.

[Rosebel]

I'm pregnant at the moment (only 10 weeks) and already worried about maternity leave or more to the point after maternity leave. In New Year our jobs are being changed. So we will have a set number of hours but could be any days and any hours (between 5am and 7pm). The rotas will change weekly. I can't go back, which I was planning to do. If I go back and am still doing 28 hours a week I will have to pay 5 full days of childcare which we can't afford.
My husband earns enough for us to live on but it's going to be tight (family of five on one income)and to make matters worse our landlord is selling our house next year. I feel like the worst mum in the world. Letting our two children and new,baby down. No job, no house.
Has anyone experienced something similar? Is it easy (possible) to get a new job on maternity leave? Trying not to stress,but it's hard.

[Isleepinahedgefund]

Have you discussed this with them?

[Butterymuffin]

Are you in a union? That change is going to be hard for anyone with childcare responsibilities to work around.

[Rosebel]

We're having 1:1 meetings in January or February but we've already been told this is happening. Union is that in name only, it's an American based company and so don't believe in union. Other people have tried this route and it's a no go. Unfortunately they are probably covered as they issued new contracts saying staff must be fully flexible which we had to sign or loose our jobs. Horrible company who call themselves family friendly! Yeah right!

[luckygreeneyes]

That’s a significant change to your contractual terms. How long have you worked there? What’s their business justification for needing so much flexibility?

[custardbear]

Change jobs ASAP - what do you do for a job? Is it the sort of thing that
Comes up frequently? Or niche?

[Rosebel]

I tried to change job before I got pregnant (not planned) . The maternity packet is quite good so don't really want to loose that. I work in home shopping but would love to go back to childcare. At the moment some people do mornings and others afternoons so they're changing it to make it fair. The chopping and changing is going to make childcare impossible

[Angelf1sh]

Try ACAS if the Union isn’t helping and you’re intending not to go back anyway. You could claim indirect sex discrimination and see if you can get paid to go away.