1 in 7 women made redundant after maternity leave. Plus, new guest blog from Maternity Action

I was made redundant after returning from first maternity leave, been back about 9 months but was also 7 and half months pregnant with my second child.

It has happened to me twice. The first time, I was demoted after announcing my second pregnancy - supposedly temporarily - then officially when I was on maternity leave (I found out through an email to the team officially promoting the person who was supposed to be senior temporarily). When I returned part time I was refused a promotion on the basis that I worked part time (not in writing, of course,but this was the unofficial reason my line manager told me). They paid me off in the end but although the money was useful, I would rather have had the job because I really liked it and was good at it.

I have just lost another job because my employer changed their mind about wanting someone part time. Rather than discussing it with me they told me I now 'wasn't a good fit', ditched me and employed someone more junior (cheaper) on a full time basis.

What I have learned is that it is not possible to be a woman in a senior position and work part time. The only choice if you want that job is to spend very little time with your children.

My last boss was a working mother and I think keeps her career going because she doesn't really care about her kid. She is a shit mother, admitting she only really ever sees her child on a Saturday and she probably goes away without him at least one weekend a month. She won't go on holiday anywhere that doesn't have a kids' club, so she can ditch him and 'enjoy the holiday'. She has just had twin girls - maybe she will make a bit more effort to care for them than she does for her poor son. But I doubt it .

Happened to me. I sent a letter asking for reduced hours when I returned and was offered voluntary redundancy instead ...

And another one to add to the stats. Made redundant while pregnant, after months of bullying and harassment by an awful sexist bastard of a boss. Fortunately, I wasn't planning on returning after ML, so took the money & thought it a lucky escape.

I was only curious when I opened the thread. NOW I'm shocked. In 3 mat leaves this hasn't happened to me. If it had, I would have felt victimised and appallingly treated. I am aghast.

OhdearIquit if they gave everyone else a pay rise and not you, they directly broke the law.

You might want to go and see a solicitor for a free half-hour consultation.

I was made redundant on maternity leave too
Everyone else was too though so surely that must be something that happens and messes the stats up a bit?

I think it kind of happened to me.

I got my hours cut the first time when newly pregnant and then again when returning from maternity leave. Not a lot but enough to make a difference. I was only working the bare minimum I could afford and after 3 weeks back at work, my hours got cut even further. I went and got another job, am starting next week.

My boss even had the cheek to tell me upon handing in my notice, that I was being selfish by quitting.

While working one of my last shifts, I found out that EVERYONE had gotten a pay rise while I was on ML but I hadn't. What's worse though, now even the staff more junior than me (people I trained) were actually earning more than me. I made the decision there and then to not work my last week and enjoy some time off with DD before starting my new job.

I'm terribly disappointed and feel utterly unappreciated!

I find it shocking that there is such a negative attitude towards women in the UK taking their full entitlement of ML. Todays babies are the future of tomorrow and it will pay off for a society in the long run to have them well cared for by loving parents instead of being farmed out into nurseries at too early an age.

Dare I mention that Germany has 3 years ML per child and somehow businesses are still able to function. Women also aren't judged for taking up tis opportunity. It's a very different attitude over there, one that a lot of people over here can learn from. Weirdly enough their economy is not being ruined by all these lazy women producing children and then wanting time off while beng partly paid!

Not remotely surprised.

I got made redundant just before I went off on maternity leave.

After six months (to comply with redundancy law) they employed someone else in my job but gave him a different title to me.

I was a department manager.

Me too. I was phoned at home when my baby was a few days old and asked whether I would like redundancy due to restructuring. I was friends with someone in HR who knew that I didn't want to go back. Worked in my favour as I left with a nice redundancy payment which was more generous given the slightly tricky situation of me being on maternity leave.

I'm another statistic. I knew it was in the offing as soon as I informed them I was pregnant with DS2. On my return I was told my position was redundant, I was offered a much lesser position, or voluntary redundancy.
It made for a very stressful pregnancy as DP was also made redundant.

I was made redundant after my maternity leave. It was either that or being transferred to the other end of the country.

I was NHS. Another woman was made redundant during her mat leave in the first restructure with zero offer of slotting in to any other role, even though it was obvious there were similar jobs to hers available.

Another made redundant whilst on maternity leave here - from Director level position.

Me too. Demoted due to restructure with pay protection, informed 2 days after giving birth. Then informed about further restructure 1 month after my return, where my job was erased or the option if being slotted in to a job which would have been a further demotion. So I took 'voluntary' redundancy rather than 2 demotions in less than a year.

Katie, they were definitely useless as proven in other proceedings but it is interesting to know you are supposed to have additional protection on ML.

Yep happened to me too. Though actually it worked in my favour as I'd already decided not to return to work when my ML ended, so my redundancy payment was a nice bonus!

Not surprised at all sadly.

I'd been back a year when I was made redundant so I probably wouldn't count on the statistics but it was mainly due to me being a part time worker since maternity leave.

It happened to me.

Happened to me twice.

Both times I was made redundant whilst on mat leave from director level positions. Once in a merger, once through 'restructuring'. I think 'treated abysmally and paid off with a compromise agreement' just about covers it

Local government too.

Happened to me. Back for three weeks, restructure revealed, told I was being made redundant in three months time. They had done everything by the board and given me the right amount of notice, waited til I returned to work so I wasn't still on ML and under any protection. Bastards.

Mumvskids mine was local government too.