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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To feel annoyed that I missed out on a job because I am a woman

320 replies

curtainsy · 20/06/2019 19:28

I've just started back at work after 12 months off for maternity leave. Before I went off I had a meeting with HR and my manager to go over my rights etc. One of the things HR said was that they have to keep me informed of job vacancies.

I have now started back and found out that a promotion came up within my team 2 months ago. Four colleagues applied and one of them was appointed. AIBU to be absolutely raging that I wasn't informed?
I don't actually know what to do about it as it's all been done now and he is in this new job so I feel like complaining is pointless.

OP posts:
Original poster
curtainsy · 20/06/2019 19:29

Just to add that I work in a local authority.

OP posts:
MT2017 · 20/06/2019 20:05

Have you spoken to HR about it? I bloody would be Shock

Original poster
curtainsy · 20/06/2019 20:14

Not yet because I don't know what it would solve? I don't want an apology I want the job but they aren't going to take it away from the person who they have already hired. I don't know what to do.

OP posts:
Daygals · 20/06/2019 20:18

What is the usual method of communicating such vacancies?

Our staff on ML still get all the "all staff" emails, in fact we've just appointed a Head of Dept who's not due back from ML until Jan.

If it really is you weren't given the opportunity, rather than you missed the advert, I'd be making myself a rather large thorn in the side of the manangement responsible.

KickAssAngel · 20/06/2019 20:19

I would def. contact HR and complain.
No, they won't take the job away from him, but they may offer you a pay rise.

IF you really want to sue on the grounds of sex discrimination, there is no upper limit to how much you can claim. So you could claim that this job would have led to better things, higher salaries, more benefits like pension etc. for the rest of your working life, and now they have prevented you from having that opportunity.

It would certainly be worth mentioning to them that you very much see yourself as a career person who anticipates moving on & up, and that you would 100% have applied for the post if you had known about it. Then ask them what the co. policy is when they discriminate against someone due to sex, and what they intend to do to rectify the situation?

Daygals · 20/06/2019 20:20

Aren't all local authority jobs advertised online, so they could argue that it was advertised and you didn't look?

Slightaggrandising · 20/06/2019 20:21

@Daygals IME, they go to internal recruiting first.

Cherylshaw · 20/06/2019 20:23

I know with my previous jobs that all internal jobs are advertised on their website. We weren't told individually.

Original poster
curtainsy · 20/06/2019 20:26

It wasn't advertised externally so I couldn't have seen it.

OP posts:
ukgift2016 · 20/06/2019 20:27

I work for a local authority. I do not see the issue here, all jobs are advertised internally and you get an email on the shared system. You do not individually get told.

Also no offense but you were on maternity leave when this happened and you have only now just stared back at work. Get your feet back under the table. Unlikely you would have got that job anyway having been out of work for a year.

Alicesweewonders · 20/06/2019 20:29

Yes, you should have been Informed. I'm currently off on maternity & get regular emails/letters about new vacancies.

I'd say something.

Notanidiot · 20/06/2019 20:29

In our govermnent organisation all jobs go Civil Service Jobs. Everyone can see them and you can set up job alerts so that you are notified if anything comes up that meet your parameters.

I would have thought that something similar would be in place for local government.

redpinkgreenyellow · 20/06/2019 20:30

How was it advertised to everyone else?

Lazypuppy · 20/06/2019 20:31

Presume it was advertised via internal email or something similar? Did you not have access to work emails? Ir did you not leave a personal email address they could contact you on? Thats what i did.

I'd be speaking to your line manager who should have forwarded the email to you.

Sandybval · 20/06/2019 20:31

Did they not give you details on how to stay in touch and access internal jobs etc before you went on maternity leave? If not then they really need to do in future for people. Is there no way you could have kept an eye out for vacancies whilst on mat leave?

Notanidiot · 20/06/2019 20:32

Even internal jobs for existing civil servants only are advertised on Civil Sevice Jobs. You just have to a civil servant to see the full details and apply. Would think similar thing in place for local government.

RoomR0613 · 20/06/2019 20:33

ukgift how would the OP access an internal system whilst on maternity leave? Why should she miss out on an opportunity she would have applied for because she was on maternity leave?

ISmellBabies · 20/06/2019 20:33

The same thing happened to me at a local authority workplace. They admitted they didn't consider me or tell me because I was on mat leave.

EarlGreyOfTwinings · 20/06/2019 20:33

It's not because you're a woman though is it.

Do you have access to work emails?
I wouldn't expect any job add to be sent individually to every one's private email address.

Original poster
curtainsy · 20/06/2019 20:34

@ukgift2016 why would I be checking work emails when I am on maternity leave looking after a baby. Even if I wanted to I couldn't because my laptop password resets after 6 weeks of not being in the building so I would have had to go in to the office every 6 weeks to enable this.
Also, I hope you are not a manager with your attitude. I have 10 years experience, just because I have had a baby I don't need to 'get my feet back under the table, my brain didn't fall out of my vagina when I gave birth.

OP posts:
Lazypuppy · 20/06/2019 20:36

@curtainsy did you not go in for any KIT days? Surely you would have logged on then and seen any job adverts.

EarlGreyOfTwinings · 20/06/2019 20:36

People can't win

Other posters have been in absolute rage because their job dared to contact them whilst they were on maternity leave.

No need to be upset, but it's fair enough to point out that no one comes back to work as if they haven't left after a year off - doesn't matter if it's a woman on maternity leave or a man who took a sabbatical. It takes some time to catch up. No need to take everything personally.

redpinkgreenyellow · 20/06/2019 20:37

How was it advertised to everyone else? You have not answered this bit.

Sandybval · 20/06/2019 20:37

I am on maternity leave and keep checking for vacancies, it would be unreasonable to expect someone to call me and let me know, and realistically takes a few minutes a week. However, if you would have to physically go into the building every 6 weeks then that's unfair as you don't have reasonable access to view them, and they need to sort that out.

Iseesheep · 20/06/2019 20:39

my brain didn't fall out of my vagina when I gave birth.

Maybe not, but you chose not to look at emails which meant you missed promotion possibilities.

I work in a huge public/civil servant outfit and we don't get individual emails to alert us about vacancies. I have to look for them. So do you. You're not special because you've done what most women in the civil service have done and given birth.