Employer let me go...now what?

[enbh]

I didn't really know where to post this. My employer has chosen not to take me back part time ( 3 days per week) after maternity leave. I know absolutely that it's their right to do so, although have to say I'm very disappointed. Virtually everyone works part time there. Even my colleague with no dependent children finishes at 2:00 as she has to let her two labradors out. Not bitter, honest!

Anyway...just feeling a bit lost and looking for a bit of a hand hold really. I'm going to be looking for a job immediately as i was due to go back next month. I feel like this is such a bad time for me to be starting a new job, baby not sleeping well at the min due to teething and I can't even imagine learning a new skill...I can just about zombie my way through the day as it is!

Has anyone started a new job after having a baby? I just feel like all my confidence is gone (not to mention none of my work clothes fit me at all). I just feel shit!

Oh bless you, OP - AIBU is not the place for a handhold. It all seems so impossible now but things will get better

There are some harsh posts on this thread when the Op is looking for support and positive advice. Can you ask the mods to move it to the employment section? The mean girls tend not to hang around there.

Get your CV up to date and register with jobsites and agencies. If you're not concerned about what you do in the interim, consider evening/night/weekend roles.

Good luck, you will be fine.

Hi OP, sorry to hear that they wouldn't let you go back part time. TBH it doesn't sound like an amazing place to work.

Now what...
If I were you I'd start the job hunt by sticking to what you know. Apply directly to all the firms of solicitors in your area and ask if they have any support roles (ideally part time but willing to be fully flexible). Good legal secretaries are usually paid more than £17k. On your CV I'd probably say 'Secretary/Paralegal' as your most recent job title, as it was wrong of your old employer to say 'trainee solicitor' (no solicitor will employ you if you put that on your CV). You probably have very good transferrable legal admin skills and knowledge and would be an asset to any legal department.
And buy a few nice work/interview outfits that fit! That will boost your confidence.

Op I am in exactly the same shoes as you. Currently waiting on yet another email from work (the 15th so far in 2 months) and then I will be handing my notice in. A culmination of things over the last 18 months including how I was treated while pregnant has made me come to the conclusion that my workplace don't care about their staff even though all you ever hear is we are a family business and we focus on family blah blah. I also work in a solicitors. You are well out of it. Not worth the stress. Enjoy your baby and the right job is out there for you.

Look for legal secretary roles. There are usually plenty around (at least in my area).

And yes - you need to say you were a PA/paralegal as your company should not have been describing you as a trainee solicitor if you weren’t doing a TC.

Also, might be worth a call to the SRA ethics hotline as they sound really very dodgy - 020 7320 5675

I took voluntary redundancy on mat leave. It wasn't the plan but such is life. I went to a new full time job but only stayed there 6 months for various reasons but wanting to work less hours was a big one. I found part time work (3 days) in the same arena but not quite what I was used to. I stayed doing that for 2 yrs to keep my skills up and I've just recently moved back into what was dping before, 4 days per week.

I'm very happy where I am now. I'm well aware my career stagnated while I side stepped into the 3 day role but, for me, the work/life was well worth it. In my current role I will be able to start progressing again, my DD starts school next year so timing it's all worked out for me.

Sometimes its good to go off plan, as ithers have said - see it as an adventure. Good luck!

I had the same. I would have liked to go back to my previous role part time but company said it was not possible. Not even a 4 day week. So I resigned. They then hired my maternity cover - a man - and allowed him to do a 4 day week as he had already signed up for a photography course!

I took a couple of years off then went back. I was lucky to find a part time role with a great company and a fab boss. He was extremely flexible and allowed me to flex my hours around. I started doing 4 days a week 9 -5. Then once kids were all at school I changed around to do 2 long days and 2 short days so I could do school pick up 3 days a week. It made such a difference to our quality of family life.

Good luck in finding a new job. In the mean time, enjoy being with your little one.(they grow fast)

How about secretarial /admin work through an agency. If you want a bit of time to think what you want to do next, how about a part time Christmas job.

Civil service jobs may be worth keeping an eye on. Different employers within the civil service may be more flexible than others, but some will offer part time to start with, where as others may allow after a set period (12 months for my job). Many have flexi and or homeworking so you may be able to fit in more hours than you think.

It does sound as if, whatever the legal rights and wrongs, this company is not committed to meeting your expectations/aspirations for development in any case. I suspect they were hoping an opportunity would come up to keep the boss' daughter and are quite relieved you've decided to leave and confirm the vacancy. I think when you've experienced more supportive workplaces you might be pleased that you were given this push to move on.

My experience and those of other working mum colleagues is that the first two years after mat leave often entail a rethinking of our relationship with work - you just don't have the luxury of staying late each night, so you cut out unnecessary socialising, politicking etc. and just become very focused at work. The first year back is difficult while you learn how to switch gears but after that I've seen people be even more successful, and on their own terms, than before.

It seems very common to lack confidence on returning - don't take that as a sign that you need to look for lower level work or change industries unless you want to - especially when moving on from an unsupportive employer. Maybe start working on your cv and book an appointment with a good recruitment agency to remind yourself just how many skills you have to offer. Good luck

That stinks OP, I’m not sure why other posters have been such arses. They sound like total wankers anyway. I wonder how delighted the other people would feel in your shoes. Just ignore them.

I hope you get something else soon x

To be honest your posts have been very unclear. As a professional I would have expected succinct posts. I wonder if you aren't cut out for Legal work - hence you are support staff work.

Oh fuck off.

@Neshoma what was the purpose of your comment? It had no advice or anything nice in it. You could have kept your nasty comments to yourself rather than posting one that will obviously make someone feel rubbish.

At least yours was succint eh?

You have had some strange responses, here OP.

You have been treated badly and you should call the SRA line above. I disagree that you don’t have anything to make a case of. If you were employed as a trainee solicitor that has implications and you were entitled to training as a solicitor.

I took voluntary redundancy when I was on mat leave after having DD1, as my employer wasn’t making encouraging noises about me going down to part time. It was a scary leap, but the right thing for me. I ended up finding a part time admin job with the NHS and I’m still there 14 years later (a couple of promotions and a few more hours per week on). Sometimes starting a new job can be easier than changing existing expectations at an old job. You can set your stall out from the start about what you can and can’t do, but do what you can do damn well - so they know you are still committed.

I left my job just before I found out I was pregnant. When dd was one I got a new job working mornings only. I was still on meds from anxiety at the time so it was a little tough but I enjoyed it.

I completely changed careers 4 months after returning from maternity. Very nerve wracking but was absolutely the right choice for me. It is hard learning new skills especially if you have a child not sleeping through but it's certainly doable

I was made redundant on maternity leave. Someone I know said there was a post going at their company so I managed to get an interview and got the role.
Going back to work in a new place with different people and a completely different role was strange and hard work. Nice but I felt like I was in a bubble of some kind!

I second the idea of virtual PA work, I know someone that does it and she gets flexibility with hours etc. You should be paid more than 17k too. We pay our admin staff at least 25k (in a well paid industry).

It sounds like you have a lot of excellent skills and I bet sending a CV around will get you some work. I echo the above sentiments. I bet you will find something much much better. So here's your handhold!

I know you were fed up with everyone fixating on the trainee solicitor issue, but in fact that's absolutely germane to your present situation. To use the technical term, these people are scuzzbags if they've taken you on as a trainee solicitor (presumably after you've finished an LPC?) and then dicked you around on your training contract. They got you to bust your butt for shameful pay by dangling a training contract in front of you. These are not good people and you are well shot of them.

Before you get your P45, write them a letter asking for a copy of all the training contract paperwork (well, it's called a "period of recognised training" now) that they have on file for you, and a copy of everything that they've sent to the SRA on your behalf. They will have needed to register paperwork with the SRA before and during the recruitment of a trainee solicitor. You will need all of this as you'll presumably need to know how far (if at all) your period of recognised training got to before, so that you can take it up again with a new firm.

If they hired you using the words "trainee solicitor" (and are listing you as a trainee solicitor on their website) without having any SRA records, then that is shockingly poor. It would be damning evidence that they intended to mislead you. I know you're probably not in the headspace for a great legal battle but the SRA should at least be informed.

Gosh, some replies on here have been appallingly rude, with no justification.

@buttheydo has excellent advice!

I wish you luck @enbh in finding something else with much nicer employers!

I had to go back to work full time in a brand new job that I despised because I had an unplanned and unexpected baby.

She was only 12 weeks when I went back and my god how I cried every day! However, I kept looking for a new job and recently landed a better paid job with less hours and days so I don’t have to put my children in childcare every day and I enjoy my new role.

It’s not forever OP. Go back full time as employers seem to be more willing to take you on if you are already working so finding a new position will be easier.

OP, I was made redundant just after I returned from maternity leave. I was already part time - they just had to reduce numbers and I was in the fallout. It was just before Christmas and we happened to get the phone call whilst on holiday with the toddler and baby at Butlins. Which was nice.

Anyway, to cut long story short. I was at the local shop, and ended up chatting to a friend of a friend, whose husband owned a local business, and needed more staff in the area I work. They were looking for full time, but I had an interview anyway and as they couldn't find anyone else, they took me on. I still work here 8 years later. Its a lovely company to be with.
So, whilst I can't help you, good things do happen!

enbh, sorry if I'm repeating others here, long thread! I did start a new job/new life after maternity leave, it was so much better than before, and I didn't have a clue that that was possible. I dropped some cvs online and got a request to do an "emergency" freelance job that led to more and more work and a new career. You can do it, esp. with the experience you describe. All the best!

Definitely possible! I found and started a new job when my first baby was 7 months. Previous job was 16K, the new one 25K. It was in a similar situation to yours - except I wasn't welcome back at all. What I think plays in your favour here is that 17K isn't some stellar salary for genius people - there are a lot of jobs and options that pay better money than that!

I have to add that I wasn't initially offered the job - they weren't convinced that I had the skills required and this was partly my fault of not communicating stuff clearly. I asked in two weeks time whether the job was filled and said that I'm still interested if it isn't. They invited me for a second interview and subsequently offered the job. I worked there for 7 years and went on maternity leave with the second baby whilst being there.

For confidence, I make sure I look my best on the interview and take comfort from that. For that specific interview I bought a new bag, a new pair of shoes and a new white shirt. I know it doesn't replace knowledge or skills but it works for me in terms of getting my spirits and confidence up.

@enbh I hope you've got something sorted now, just wanted to let you know that there are a number of jobs in the legal sector that you might not have thought of, but which often have part time roles advertised, e.g. in Accounts teams (legal cashier) or compliance. Good luck with your career, and congratulations on your DC.