AIBU to be furious with my boss?

[smellimelli]

I'm on maternity leave. I had my flexible working request turned down (after appeal etc) earlier this year and am due to go back full time next week. Today I go into work to get organised and find out that my maternity cover has been given a 2 day a week contract. If I didn't need the money I would go back. Bastard. AIBU t

Is the flexible working related to the extra person now working 2 days a week?

Sorry for being thick, but I don't understand how the two are linked. Do you mean that they gave this person flexible working but not you? Or that they have part of your job? Or just that they are now working there too?

Obviously they were able to demonstrate that the business had legitimate reasons for being unable to accomodate flexible working. How does the maternity cover woman fit into that?

Again. Sorry for being thick.

What were the reasons they turned down your flexible working? There are only certain reasons they can turn this down e.g. in sufficient resource to cover your job in your absence, too costly etc

If your maternity cover is doing a completely different role then they can unfortunately do this....it is really unfair though. I know lots of companies don't want to set a precedent by letting people go part time or do flexible hours.

If I were you I would raise this with your boss and ask why this individual is allowed to do part time when your request was turned down. Good luck.

It's exactly the same job-I'm a teacher. The irony is the reason I was turned down was to avoid teachers sharing classes (although others do), yet this is now happening with my maternity cover.

I am no expert in this but I would say that they don't have a legitimate reason to turn down your request for flexible working, I think you should re-submit your application for flexible working with specific reference to this example and take it from there. Maybe you should post this in the legal forum to see if anyone with employment law experience can give you some advice.

Thanks whoneedssleepanyway, I'll post in legal and see what's said. I just can't get my head round it!

It may be that two days a week could be accommodated - just - for the short time concerned but not in the long term.