to feel threatened by my maternity cover.

[bedraggledmumoftwo]

So i am due back at work in a few months and am busy organising childcare. I would love to go back three days a week, but i don't dare even ask, as i assume if i did they would just keep my mat cover (male) on in my place. I mean, why would they not. They have to give it to me as it was but not if i ask to change things. It's a bit of a boy's club and my cover also applied for my job when i beat him to it.So i am going back full time just in case even though i really don't want to, just because i am afraid.

Of course you can request to go back part time, you have a legal right to. And they have the right to say no with good reasons and then you go back full time or leave. But they can't give your job to him just because you make a request to work part time, that would be illegal.

Meant to say what would you do? But my phone posted early. I know i have a right to ask, but when recruiting within my team my boss just said we don't want a part timer and binned someone's application, then made me complete the forms to fail them on the competences. And when recruiting for my mat cover he rejected other applicants and made arrangements to give it to this guy without really following our hr processes.

So i have no doubt he would pay lip service to the consider it part but probably get my cover to write a business case as to why it wouldn't work. And if i then came back full time it would make life a bit more difficult having done that.

Sounds like a terrible place to work. I'd apply for part time and see what happens. And start looking for another job.

It is actually a good place to work (other than my boss) and i have gotten quite senior, so i don't want to leave really, but would far rather be part time.

You've nothing to lose from applying then, if you're prepared to go back full time anyway, you might as well ask.

How long have you been on maternity leave? As far as I understood if you take the extended portion (ie over 6 months) they only have to offer you a equivalent post. It doesn't have to be your original job. So therefore there is nothing to lose if you truly want to go part time.

Ask for a job share?

Toddleterror that is part of what i am afraid of. Technically they only have to give me an equivalent role, but at the moment i am getting my own job back as my cover is only there as temp promotion. I am quite comforted by going back to my old job,which i am good at and is in my comfort zone. Wouldn't really fancy starting a new role while sleep deprived! So i am worried that if i ask to return part time then they will have to read the mat leave ts and cs in detail and realise they don't actually have to give me my old job back after all!

job share would be good but i am a qualified professional and a civil servant think it would be difficult to find someone suitably qualified to share internally and i think there is still a ban on external recruitment.