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

[curtainsy]

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.

You should raise this with HR , not that it will do you much good, I don't think as a poster upthread thought that they will give you wads of cash to compensate, but they certainly need to rethink how they inform staff on maternity/long term absence about vacancies.

Jeez people have SUCH low expectations! The OP should DEFINITELY have been told about the opportunity, it should not have been assumed she would be checking work emails.

Just because it's not something that regularly happens or you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it shouldn't. It does happen in the public sector because they mostly have the best and most human terms and conditions and HR policies. Those of you criticising the OP should remember it really shouldn't be a race to the bottom. Raise your expectations!

OP - take it up with HR. Although you've missed the boat here, they need to get their shit together so it doesn't happen again.

@JQbased The OP has said that her password (need to access work emails) resets every 6 weeks and that you have to physically go into the building to reset it. It's not reasonable to expect someone on leave (sick leave as well as maternity or shared parental leave) to go into work to reset their password every six weeks. The OP should have been notified separately to the general internal email, as she was unable to access the internal email whilst on maternity leave - if they didn't have her personal email, then a phone call would have been appropriate.

OP I would start by emailing your HR department and asking why you weren't notified about the promotion opportunity - I say email because should this eventually go to tribunal you'll want their response in writing not via a verbal phone call.

It’s standard practice to contact people on maternity and long term sick leave directly about things like job opportunities, restructures, changes to the business etc, either using non-work email or written letter to home address.

This is absolutely the norm in the public sector. The OP’s employer as an LA would 100% have a policy saying this should happen.

Actually OP, have you read this section if your maternity leave policy? Maybe have that to hand when you raise it.

@Tallgreenbottle - that doesn't really happen in the public sector. Competition is much more fair and open.

Yellowcar2 " But they did tell you. You just didn't check your emails"

@yellowcar2 I didn't have the ability to check my work emails because I was on MATERNITY LEAVE. As mentioned, I did not have access at home but even if I did do people seriously think that people maternity leave should have to check their work emails?

But why should the OP have been checking work emails when she was on maternity leave?

If you want to know about job opportunities that are going to be advertised on email, then yes, I think you should be expected to check your email. Even on maternity leave.

There may be policies that state someone should contact you, but I think that's bit OTT tbh.

God some of the answers on here.

You're entitled to be considered for promotion and pay rises while on maternity. Failure to do so is sex discrimination, regardless of what some of the -CF- PP on here might think, because it's discrimination due to you being on maternity which is oddly linked to the fact you're a woman

Yes you should have been informed. I'd see if you have any record of their agreement to inform you of vacancies and check their policy, then raise a grievance.

Were you logging into your internal email at regular intervals?

So, um, did you want to be notified by email about Amy's birthday bash in February, and about the toilet flooded on March 3rd & the cancelled client engagement event in April, or did you JUST want to be notified about job opportunities, or maybe just the job opportunities that could be suitable for YOU not the cleaner & technician jobs too? Did you provide a specific list about which internal emails you wanted to be sent to your personal email addy... would you expect to be tasked with checking such a list regularly yourself & choosing which items to send, when someone else went off on M-leave?

Sorry curtainsy missed the bit about not having access.

but even if I did do people seriously think that people maternity leave should have to check their work emails?
But to this yes I do. If you are able to and want to be aware of what's going on you should check. I've had 3 lots of maternity leave and check my work emails every so often. It only takes a few minutes.

I think as you were unable to receive the email you should talk to HR it might not change the outcome but they should be made to explain their mistakes.

What is unreasonable is pp expecting OP to go in every 6 weeks, spend who knows how long on the phone to IT sorting out a new password, trawling through endless pointless emails that had been addressed to “all staff” (I’m sure OP doesn’t care that Alice brought cake in for everyone 5 weeks ago) on the off-chance that 5 weeks and 6 days ago an email with internal vacancies had been sent for which the deadline for applications has now passed.
How did HR communicate other things like return to work dates etc. to you? They should’ve sent on the vacancies in the same way

People who are hoping to keep their hat in the ring for promotions should check their emails, yep.

People who want a work free maternity leave opt out and are fully entitled to do so.

You say you couldn’t access the system, did you notify anyone in HR/IT of this when it happened? Or

There may be policies that state someone should contact you, but I think that's bit OTT tbh.

Jesus wept.

Someone’s manager forwarding an email is ‘OTT’ but expecting people to log on to work, trawl through all work emails on the offchance there’s a very rare job advert there is perfectly proportionate. Expecting them to go into the office to do so is absolutely reasonable but GOD don’t expect a manager to forward an email to their personal account!

Do people really expect so little of their managers? This is literally a manager’s job - to ensure that a person they manage is given fair and equitable treatment and not disadvantaged because of a protected characteristic.

Seriously. Forwarding an email, and remembering an employee exists. Not terribly difficult.

I was emailed to my personal email address about a relevant promotion that was advertised when I was on mat leave (NHS).

Standard practice, as it should be.

https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/managing-pregnancy-and-maternity-workplace/faqs-employees/during-maternity-leave-applying-jobs

They should have informed you of the vacancy. The responsibility to keep you updated is all theirs and I'm surprised at the number of posters who think otherwise.

Definitely speak to HR about it.

People who are hoping to keep their hat in the ring for promotions should check their emails, yep.

What if they don’t have remote access? What if it’s company policy to revoke access to work systems and suspend accounts for periods of leave longer than 3 months?

No wonder women are behind in pay and representation at senior levels

No one knows their rights and half the women on here think it's fine to assume someone couldn't do a job because they had a baby 12 months ago

What a time to be alive

So, um, did you want to be notified by email about Amy's birthday bash in February, and about the toilet flooded on March 3rd & the cancelled client engagement event in April, or did you JUST want to be notified about job opportunities, or maybe just the job opportunities that could be suitable for YOU not the cleaner & technician jobs too? Did you provide a specific list about which internal emails you wanted to be sent to your personal email addy... would you expect to be tasked with checking such a list regularly yourself & choosing which items to send, when someone else went off on M-leave?

Amy’s birthday bash or the broken loos don’t affect OP’s employment and advancement at work. They do not result in her being treated inequitably with the way she is rewarded by the company or her opportunity to advance within the company.

A halfway basic manager will agree with a mat leaver on what terms they want to be contacted while on mat leave before they go, and then will maintain contact on that basis. It is what they are paid to do.

Have you checked your personal email in case it is there somewhere?

So, um, did you want to be notified by email about Amy's birthday bash in February, and about the toilet flooded on March 3rd & the cancelled client engagement event in April, or did you JUST want to be notified about job opportunities, or maybe just the job opportunities that could be suitable for YOU not the cleaner & technician jobs too? Did you provide a specific list about which internal emails you wanted to be sent to your personal email addy... would you expect to be tasked with checking such a list regularly yourself & choosing which items to send, when someone else went off on M-leave?

This is fucking hilarious. Yes, actually, the OP should have been contacted about any changes which would affect her or jobs which would be relevant to her. This is what policies in the public sector state and it’s not fucking hard to achieve. I’ve been on mat leave twice and I’ve also managed many women on mat leave. I have happily contacted them about things like this because a) its very easy and b) it’s my fucking job.

This is hard, but I’d bring it up to HR. It’s proportionate to ask why you weren’t given the opportunity, especially as there are so few of these roles available (1 in 15 years).

When I was on maternity leave some years ago, a colleague got a job over me. My manager said ‘he was there and you weren't’.

It was illegal then! just as it is now, but I didn’t have it in me to fight. I wish I had when I think of the pay I missed out on (plus the guy was useless and I ended up fixing his mistakes).

I don't want an apology I want the job

Coz none of the 4 people who did apply would have been hired instead of OP, I guess. I presume OP doesn't have to prove that in order to claim the salary she has now missed out on.

YNBU OP. As part of the arrangements for your maternity leave your manager should have agreed with you how they would keep you updated on job opportunities, service changes.

I’m another one that was promoted while on maternity leave - also public sector. I was off during a major service review and I was contacted on my personal email with progress updates and promotion opportunities. There was no expectation I would be checking work emails. I have also done the same thing for staff I manage.