WFH/Mat-leave, surely not a good idea?

[accccc]

I am having a c-section with my first child in under two weeks. Due to Covid it kind of feels like I have had a 'secret' pregnancy in terms of work, as I haven't been in the office etc.

I have specific difficult stakeholders - my manager has just phoned asking if I will dial in on a call with them tomorrow, as I have a better working relationship with them.

These meetings are quarterly, I don't really mind doing it tomorrow. However I don't want to once the baby is here. Should I for principles sake not do it tomorrow either?

In addition when catching up with my manager she said that she was proposing I take on all client meetings for a different set of clients, when I return (these would all be upward of 4hrs away). I want to say 'ask me in a year', but surely she can't make me commit to something now?

I think the point about stakeholders is that I am only one who currently handles them well.

But this should have been handled as part of your maternity leave prep and/or handovers.

Quite frankly, it's not your problem. Taht's what we (as managers) are meant to manage.

If you're a single point of failure, that's just shite management.

What would she do if you'd been taken into hospital?

(i, for example, delivered my baby much much earlier than planned, and my team was half fucked because of it.. i'd already started handovers, documenting the critical stuff.. but we thought i had weeks left, and i didn't. and i'm generally really on top of that type of stuff, with an involved manager myself.. and they (apparently) only just held the fort down... of course i only found out a year later!)

"BUT you can only legally take 1 full kit day"

This isn't correct (in the UK), it's 10 days

"BUT you can only legally take 1 full kit day" This isn't correct (in the UK), it's 10 days

I think the poster meant you can't take part days as KIT days so if you do any KIT work, even an hour, you use up a whole day and you only have 9 left which is a pain if you wanted to use the full 10 later on.

Yes, that was me. That's what I meant. I'd had this with my own staff before querying it and our HR policy is clear (& when I checked, based on legal input).

You cannot be paid for a part kit day. It uses up whole days.

I.e. if op works a proper, agreed official kit day which is just an hour phonecall... They may just pay her an hour, yet she loses 1 whole day of 10 days potential kit days allowance.

Good that it's clarified for future readers. Thanks

(I'm in the UK too)

@accccc

For reference I haven't agreed for tomorrow - and my manager phoned me DIRECTLY on my phone, just said would text her to confirm.

In terms of maternity cover I work in a big team, and my role is being split between a new start, and two people experienced - I think the point about stakeholders is that I am only one who currently handles them well.

I want to keep in touch socially with my manager and colleagues, even more so because I haven't seen any of them since March.

Obviously at the moment, I am just fucking massive and bored - I shall text to refuse the meeting and ignore re. working away.

Op I would’ve taken a KIT day and done the meeting but with one of the cover people present but phoned the manager in advance and said the cover person will do the next one alone and that you won’t do once baby is here. Re the working away, don’t just ignore it or they might plan for it on your return. Make sure you have a chat before your return to say you are rethinking it as you don’t want to be travelling long distances in case something happens with the baby.