to still be upset and angry about treatment whilst on mat leave

[liliapellicia]

So, 3 years ago started a new job. We'd been ttc for a few years so remained in old job for longer than ideal as didnt want to start a new job and immediately fall pregnant. Of course, that's exactly what happened, so worked very hard for 6 months in a brand new service (public sector. v stressful, long hours etc). The week before going on mat leave had a meeting with the service manager who thanked me for hard work, was very positive about my input and asked if I would be interested in a new, more senior post, as the exisitng post holder was leaving. I said absolutely, would be delighted to have that opportunity (new post was the top of my field) but highlighted I would probably want to return 3 days a week. He says fine, p/t would suit the job well. Go off on mat leave and 2 months before I'm due to return I hear the post has been advertised and they've appointed another person at my same level from a different team. I felt quite shocked and upset but have returned to work and continued as normal - not a word about previous conversation from manager of course. Realise I should just move on as manager is a powerful figure and could make life v tough for me, however I feel really resentful about this, and it's negatively affecting my view of the role and the service. This is blatant sex discrimination, yes? Or should I just suck it up and feel lucky I've got a job to go back to?

do you have proof that you where offered the job or did they just suggest you apply - it depends on information like that ...if you had a formal job offer I don;t see how they can give it to someone else?

I'd say he should have made you aware of the vacancy so you could apply. Since you're public sector that person will have applied and been interviewed rather than slotted into "your role" but I think its bad he either didn't on purpose or forgot to make you aware the vacancy had finally been advertised.

I'd be really disappointed too.

Someone else will have to provide a legal perspective as I've no idea on that front.

Sorry, realise thread title is rubbish . . . 'to be upset about missing out on work opportunity whilst on mat leave'

No I wasn't given a formal job offer. The person in the post had just handed his notice in and it wasn't public knowledge that the post was about to become vacant. I therefore told no one at work that the conversation took place. Manager basically said, this post is becoming vacant whilst you're away, you'd be ideal, what d'you think?

TBH, I'd take that as an invitation to apply for the job, and that you needed to keep your eye out for it being advertised. The onus was on you to apply

Crappy treatment but nice to know he thought you would have been perfect for the job. I hope another one comes up soon but in the meantime, can your disappointment and vent it on something worthwhile.

I agree that the onus was on you to apply, or at the very least stay well in touch with your office so that you knew what was going on.

I think you are going over the top by playing the discrimination card

I would have said as well that it was an invitation to apply.
In public sector you have to apply and be interviewed for jobs and not just adapt and change. Everything is recorded so that the job process is fair and that they can't be accused of sex discrimination and the like.

When I was on maternity leave, I was informed of every vacancy that came up within my team, there were a couple that would have been promotions for me. I'm think they were legally obliged to inform me, but I might have that wrong, it was a few years ago now.

Would your manager have been the one solely responsible for making the decision to hire you in that role though?

They are obliged to keep you updated of important and relevant things happening at work. I think that, having expressed an interest, they particularly should have made you aware of the job being advertised. It does sound like sex discrimination to me and I am sure tribunal cases have been fought and won on that basis before.

It is their obligation to ensure they do not discriminate and therefore it is their responsibility to keep you informed of this sort of thing while you are off. I am surprised a public sector organisation has done this tbh.

But really - what do you want to do? You could complain, raise a grievance, with the aim of highlighting what's gone on and stopping it in future. You might be seen as a trouble maker, but why should they get away with this? However you won't be able to get that particular job if it's been filled. Depends on how you see your future in that job but it does stink to me.

Your manager handled it badly, shouldn't have given you the impression the job might be yours, and should've shared the vacancy advertisement with you (think they are legally obliged to do that). But think you may have been unrealistic to hope for PT and promotion (sadly).

Am not a lawyer, but do think this is potential discrimination because of your conversation and their failure to notify you of the job. But if nothing was in writing could be hard to prove that the conversation took place, and pursuing it could be v stressful.

I think your employer was wrong not to ensure you had the chance to apply. You don't even know if it was openly advertised. That said, this kind of thing has happened to me and to my friends. It is not uncommon for a woman's opportunities to go to pot whilst she is pregnant or on maternity leave and yes it is sex discrimination.

Issue is what do you do? There is no question but that 'pushing' to know what's happened, why you weren't told, will be a lot of faff and tbh may be unlikely to yield anything other than an apology. Best revenge may be by managing people differently when you are able to rise up the ranks. If I had an employee on maternity leave and a post came up I would make sure they knew about it. That's how things change - because we make it change.

I think the original conversation was an unofficial 'sounding you out' type convo. You would be hard pressed to pressed sex discrimination when you can't prove you were offered a job.

Some great responses - thanks. Yes, I think the thing that's a bit galling is that given the current climate it may be many years until get another opportunity (if ever) and I'm becoming more and more aware of how women's careers and financial situations are often unecessarily affected by having children. On the one hand I think I should probably take it on the chin (c'est la vie), on the other, think it's desperately unfair that this sort of thing regularly happens to women. I don't think the job was openly advertised - I am set up to get job alerts and didn't ever recive this one. I suspect they wanted someone in post asap so he conveniently forgot about our conversation. Things is it was all rather awkward when I returned to work beacuse the promotion was within my team and everyone was asking why I didn't go for it/get it. My manager (the one I had the conversation with who is the lead of the entire service) actually placed me in a different team on my return . Probably not worth the hassle of pursuing further though.

I am pretty sure though it is a manager's responsibility to inform employess of potential job opportunities though - particularly if it wasn't advertised externally. That's what I've always been told??

Ah. Well in that case I think your manager has acted poorly then - and you might want to talk to HR about equal opportunity to apply.