Convinced I will lose my job and don’t know how to make these ends meet? So worried

[Herooo]

I earn 3500 usually. I’ve been off sick and will be on maternity from next week. I am absolutely terrified that I will lose my job on my return, mainly because my manager said recently that my performance had been slipping (slightly before I went off sick) and suggested I may have to have a formal meeting. As I went off sick this didn’t happen and now I’m on maternity soon.

I have 8k savings but my mortgage and bills are around 1300 so that only really solves 6 months. I would have family to sort food if it came to it. I get six months full maternity pay.

then my next worry is how would I find a similar paying job. I just don’t think I would. My confidence is in pieces already and I will have such lack of current knowledge when I return due to being off for so long. I’m so anxious and all I think about it how to get by and what to do but there are no real answers.

Don’t borrow trouble. Stop worrying - it won’t help you.

You have 6 months full pay. Live as frugally as possible. Will the baby’s father be paying CM?

What’s your childcare plan when you go back to work? And why do you think your performance was slipping?

@NoSquirrels he should be paying worst case 400.

performance slipped because of personal life. Childcare I have no idea. Parents said they would help and I intended to use maintenance to cover some of it as well as some of the 8k savings. I feel sick.

Right. You’re worrying because you don’t have a good plan.

Make a plan.

Look at a post-baby budget.

First, cost up some childcare - investigate childminders and nurseries. Find out what “help” looks like from your parents.

Get the forms for child benefit if you’re eligible, and see what else you might be eligible for - childcare voucher scheme etc.

Cut your regular costs - see where you can save.

Look at how you’ll work - can your role only be done FT, or will you want to ask for flexitime?

Get your KIT days sorted with work.

Do not panic.

The worrying beforehand about something is always worst than the actual experience of it. I'm older than you and wish someone had told me this when i was young and single parent.

A good friend of mine found taking in a monday-friday lodger worked really well, an extra income with weekend privacy to recover, would that be a possiblity for you?

Try to remind yourself that you are a capable intelligent adult who has the ability to problem solve, you will find a solution to this.

Ultimately they can't just let you go if you are employed as a permanent member of staff not on probation OP, unless your contract says otherwise.

If there is a performance related issue then there is a process to follow and a number of steps involved before you are (hypothetically) dismissed and these will need to take into account any circumstances you disclose such as mental health (it sounds like anxiety might be a factor here?) or physical health, with reasonable adjustments made by the employer to offer support and ideally agree how to resolve this and improve things.

Nothing will happen while you are away on mat leave and a lot can change in 6 months. That member of staff may not even be there then and you'd be past the point of a recorded conversation for a historicam vague informal comment of performance slipping 6 months on. It isn't going to happen.

What makes you think you will be that out of the loop after 6 months? I think it is anxiety and low self esteem talking OP, you obviously have the skills to be doing that job and receiving the appropriate salary. A blip in performance in reasonable circumstances, and mat leave you're fully entitled to don't affect that even if you're doubting yourself.