Employer making life VERY difficult.

[Titslikepicassos]

Supposed to be returning from MAT leave in June, have childcare arranged and as a key worker they will still take my baby - excellent.

Had a team meeting with work this week to discuss going back and have been told that I have to relocate as my partner works on the same site as me - which has been known since I informed them we were in a relationship, however the policy changed in October (before I went on MAT leave). While we are on the same site, our jobs are separate and we are working in different buildings, have different managers and different hours. The different hours means I will need to do drop offs and pick ups to coincide with opening and closing hours.

So during the middle of a pandemic, with child care mostly closed I now have to find a new nursery, lose a significant term time deposit and start the settling in process all over again. Not only that, they have told me to find my own employment within the company - my head is exploding with all of this. AIBU to think this is an unnecessary ball ache!

I appreciate that this is a minor problem given the amount of people losing jobs!

Has anyone mentioned you contacting ACAS.
My manager tried to move me. I was working part time - I refused. He left me without work for four weeks hoping I’d go!!!
I stood my ground.
Contacted HR - I’d misunderstood supposedly!!
I stayed.
Cheeky bastards.
Good luck.
There is no reason they need to move you at all.
You are not in the same office or even building.

OP if you're on AL then you have already returned to your role, and if you ML is 6 months you absolutely have the right to return to the same role and conditions. It sounds as if your managers have absolutely no idea of basic employment rights. Please do fight this.

Well done for keeping your chin up. Employment issues are incredibly stressful at the best of times.
I agree with PP who suggested you engage a solicitor asap.

Oh the support here is fab!

I’ve got a meeting with a solicitor this morning, they specialise in employment law and come highly reviewed. HR are coming back to me today after speaking to my manager.

I have been through something similar but with flexible working following Mat Leave; don’t give up!

Pregnant Then Screwed really helped me out, google them. Also, document everything, you never know when you might need it.

I did eventually instruct a solicitor, if you can afford it I would say (mine was) worth their weight in gold.

Pregnancy and Maternity discrimination isn’t uncommon and it is wrong. Don’t let them sell you a line that this is all on you. They have a duty to support you on your return from Mat Leave.

HR should be in every meeting

Good luck with the meeting today. The lawyer dh used to negotiate his settlement was brilliant. And very reasonable. Great that your mil has offered to help!

Good luck OP.

Holy shit your managers sound insane.

Nothing to add other than don’t worry about making managers uncomfortable. You don’t owe anyone your compliance. Don’t be embarrassed out of your job.

How fucking dare they. And how fucking dare they treat you and your DP’s jobs as one unit. As if you had no rights as an employee. And then to send home your belongings.

Imagine if you were trying to get out of an abusive relationship and this was your income and protection. Imagine being told “you don’t matter because your DP oh and because I want my bezzy mate in your job”.

I’d be taking them to the cleaners. And raising grievances. Raising them so high up the organisation They’d be visible from Big Ben.

@boscoismyspiritanimal - I hit that level of anger yesterday afternoon and won’t be letting it go now, regardless of what they come back with today.

The organisation has been a really good one to work for and I loved my job, I won’t be pushed out.

Thanks all

Keep us updated and good luck. Here is hoping HR will kick their backsides

@Titslikepicassos - A similar thing happened to me, and my best advice to you is not to let any threat of a, 'bad atmosphere,' sway you. Yes, it may be awkward for a bit, but you will get through it.

Keep us updated OP. We all want to support you and keep you going.

Good luck today

You sound awesome OP.

Just off the phone to the solicitor, who has said to start formal grievance and we’ll take it from there basically.

Need to start get the evidence all together but still have no meeting notes despite asking 3 times.

Great work so far op. Hope HR come back with something useful too but even if they don’t go full steam ahead with the lawyer!

Type up your own version of the minutes of that meeting.

Send them to the managers stating that you've requested their minutes 3 times and none has been forthcoming, so you've produced them instead. Request any corrections within 48 hours.

Just read the whole thread Op and just wanted to tip my hat to you.

It must be the last thing you feel like doing at the moment, but you challenging this and asserting your rights will protect other women in the organisation in the future.

I don't have anything to add other than that I'm cheering for you from the sidelines. Things like this make me so angry. Keep going!

I had a v similar issue OP

Stuff sent home I'd not asked for, on return to work meeting told I would be doing a slightly different job I didn't want to do despite my job still being there with someone else in it

I told them I was seeking legal advice and wrote to them pointing out I was entitled to my old job

At which point they involved HR and realised they were on very thin ice

Of course it transpired I'd "misunderstood" the meeting 🙄 (funnily enough no written notes for that either) and was offered my old job back.

I told them where to stick it as didn't want it after that and had another offer.

Then they also tried to do me out of some holiday pay and notice pay.

@Titslikepicassos - am not suggesting you go against legal advice, but as a former union rep, in my experience, it can often be helpful to have an off the record chat with HR prior to lodging a grievance

It seems to me they aren't aware of what is happening, and most HR managers do not want a sex discrim complaint.

Once you lodge a grievance, it can get very formal, and again, am not suggesting that you don't follow legal advice, but that once you go down this road, it's difficult to change lanes...

well done women on here who have stood up to employers.

You are fighting for all of us women!

Thanks all - it’s nice having online support right now!

@ilovemydogandMrOBama - I’m in email contact with HR and won’t be doing anything until I’ve heard back from them properly. They’ve already been in contact with me this morning to say they can’t get hold of the regional manager and to bear with them - agree it’s best not to go steaming rolling in with them!