To ask work to stop contacting me while I’m on Mat leave?!

[waitingforwinter]

Agreed before I went off at the end of last year that I’d be taking the full year and set a date for my return including the use of my annual leave that had accrued. All in writing etc.

I’m 7.5m into my leave. Have barely heard from them until now bar the usual emails updating in the covid situation.

In the last month I’ve had:

• HR email to ask if I still plan on taking the year or if I’ve considered taking just the 9m paid leave (as they’re struggling for holiday cover because a number of staff across the company left during furlough)
• texts from the area manager asking if I would use my KIT days to help cover some days she’s meant to be doing as she could do with being elsewhere those days (requesting I work 4 full weekends out of 7 starting 10 days after she text me plus another 6 single days over the next 3 months)
• text from my direct manager this weekend asking me to cover 10 other days over the next 3 months and to let her know “ASAP” as she’ll have to deny other staff their annual leave requests if I can’t.

Before I get on my high horse and complain - I am right in saying I’m entitled to the year aren’t I?! Stat Mat if that makes any difference so 9m paid at stat and 3 months unpaid.
I was planning on contacting them about doing some KIT days closer to my return to get back into the swing of things but I don’t think it’s right that I’m being asked to provide cover 🤔

@user1471457751

Kit days are limited to 10 so you wouldn't be able to do the 4x weekend and 6 days anyway. And the emotional blackmail re annual leave is shit. I would be making her aware. It is not your responsibility to cover for crap mgt.

@user1471457751 Yeah I thought that myself!! I am the other management unfortunately. Still not my responsibility atm though as far as I’m concerned

@Flamglimglubberty

The comment about denying others is very nearly veering into discrimination territory. Hopefully someone more clued up on the topic can come along and clarify, but they're implying that you're maternity leave is a burden to others and the company. They could potentially get into a lot of trouble with this.

I had a similar comments aimed at me, amongst many other things and after seeking legal advice I was told I would have a strong claim for discrimination. In the end I just found a new job and quit. On top of handling an 9 month old I just didn't have the will or the inclination to pursue a discrimination case (in hindsight I wish I had as they absolutely hounded me out of my job for having the audacity to have a child)

@Flamglimglubberty I hadn’t even thought of it like that actually! I just thought it was a shitty comment but yeah I guess they are implying that my Mat leave is a burden!

I would simply reply saying that as previously confirmed, you will be taking the full 12 months.
You will be in touch at more appropriate point in time to this date to make arrangements for KIT days - to discuss your return. Emphasise that this will be when you have childcare.
Stress that you look forward to hearing from them again at this point in time.

After that sort of attitude to your return/KIT days, I wouldn't give them a second of work until I was officially back on the clock tbh- but I'm petty.

The out of office suggestions are tempting but I'd rather they sent the emails- especially if they interact beyond you saying no. Keep them. Fools, rope, hanging themselves.

@MrsToothyBitch

I would simply reply saying that as previously confirmed, you will be taking the full 12 months. You will be in touch at more appropriate point in time to this date to make arrangements for KIT days - to discuss your return. Emphasise that this will be when you have childcare. Stress that you look forward to hearing from them again at this point in time.

After that sort of attitude to your return/KIT days, I wouldn't give them a second of work until I was officially back on the clock tbh- but I'm petty.

The out of office suggestions are tempting but I'd rather they sent the emails- especially if they interact beyond you saying no. Keep them. Fools, rope, hanging themselves.

@MrsToothyBitch haha, I must be petty too then - I’ve literally just said to DH “they can forget me doing any KIT days now” 🤣 I’ve kept all correspondence 👍🏻

@Howshouldibehave

Do you want a year off? If so, reply and tell them that.

Are you the area manager?

Sounds like they're trying to bully you for being on maternity leave and suggesting that you are somehow responsible for their staffing issues. Contact a union and reiterate what your maternity leave is very firmly. I'm guessing these people have no kids or knowledge of work discrimination law

Yanbu at all. KIT days aren't there to fill in the gaps in their poor staff planning. They are there for your benefit not for theirs and you have no obligation to use them. I used mine to be able to attend the monthly departmental meetings in my last 3 months of Mat Leave so that I knew what was going on and could hit the ground running when I came back. Focus on your baby for now, and only take any KIT days if doing so will be of genuine benefit to you.

YANBU Enjoy your mat leave! I know you don’t want to be contacted but might be worth you linking in with HR so there’s a clear plan in place for your KIT days. The law may have changed but from memory I accrued holiday one month before I returned so any KIT days had to be taken before this.

I do have some sympathy for employers in this situation. They're trying to plan. I'm sure I'll get crucified for saying that though.
If you really don't want to be contacted at all by them, you need to tell them this in no uncertain terms.

@northdownsouth7 I’m due back end October and put it in writing to them before I went off that I’d be happy to do KIT days in October with a formal plan to be made nearer the time.

@thecognoscenti Completely understand them trying to plan - it’s usually part of my job to rota holidays etc so I get how stressful it can be. I’ve been contacted a few times out with those mentioned to ask if I can provide cover in other locations during December to cover - I have no problem with that at all as I’ll be back at work then and it means everyone knows what’s happening. But that’s now 3 levels within the company that have all contacted basically asking me to work during my Mat leave because they’re short staffed. And I’ve been asked to cover 24 days during my last 3 months leave.

This shocking and definately discrimination. Your maternity leave is less important than their annual leave. Contact HR and tell them you are still being harassed despite your clear reply to them. Add that the emotional blackmail is causing you distress and the messages are discriminatory. If you get back to work and find out those employees whose annual leave seems to be in threat were told that you were contacted or mentioned with regards to this, I'd be taking out a grievance, manager or not. No wonder people are leaving. Is this because you are a manager or would they do this to other employees too? I'm raging on your behalf. 💐

[quote waitingforwinter]@gurglebelly No work email unfortunately so everything is sent to my personal email or texts/WhatsApp/fb messenger! I’ve had contact through them all![/quote]
Get them to email your personal email address then. It's less intrusive than on your phone

@thecognoscenti

I do have some sympathy for employers in this situation. They're trying to plan. I'm sure I'll get crucified for saying that though. If you really don't want to be contacted at all by them, you need to tell them this in no uncertain terms.

Of course they are trying to plan, but those plans should be made on the basis of OP not being available at all until her return from maternity leave.

Even KIT days shouldn't be relied on because they are entirely up to the OP whether she wishes to do them, she could decide the night before that she doesn't and that is fine

What they shouldn't be doing us harassing the OP while she is off and trying to make her feel guilty

@user1471457751

Kit days are limited to 10 so you wouldn't be able to do the 4x weekend and 6 days anyway. And the emotional blackmail re annual leave is shit. I would be making her aware. It is not your responsibility to cover for crap mgt.

^This - in theory If you work more than 10 KIT days, your maternity leave and pay automatically end by law.

@thecognoscenti

She shouldn’t be included in any of their plans until she returns from maternity leave.

KIT days are not for covering they are to assist with the transition back to work.

As you were OP. Reply and then don’t look at your emails until you’re planning your return.

www.acas.org.uk/your-maternity-leave-pay-and-other-rights/while-youre-on-maternity-leave

Send one last email reiterating that you are on Mat leave until October.

Mute them on whatsapp, unfriend them on facebook and then filter your emails so anything that comes from them goes straight into a separate folder that you can check if and when you so desire.

Or just ignore/leave unread any messages/emails

[quote waitingforwinter]@LadyCatStark Yes, I thought the same! I only have 10 as far as I know![/quote]
Everyone only has 10 max - and they aren't for covering others work.

The statutory position is as soon as you work more than 10 KIT days, your statutory Mat leave and any stat payments end immediately.

I would email all 3 and say that following the contact from all of them you would like to confirm that you intend to take the full 12 months maternity leave, and you can't consider KIT days until closer to your return date. You will be in touch when you are ready to organise these and in the meantime would appreciate it if they could leave you to enjoy your maternity leave without worrying about work

Agree with this. If they persist, look for a solicitor –or just casually mention to them that you're seeking a solicitor's advice on their contact and your position.

Is it at weekends when they think your dh can look after baby? Very cheeky.

I guess some people would complain if they hadn't been given the opportunity. "Work" can't really win, can it?!

My friend had a similar situation. They contacted her 2 months before she was due back (she's going back part time) and they asked her to come in full time 2 weeks before she was due back plus weekends so 14 days in a row to update her on the new policies in place.

She declined.

*MrsFin, some people would welcome the 'opportunity' to start back early because their employer couldn't get their shit together?
Seems unlikely to me.

Just to give another perspective - they are clearly disorganised and it was a shitty thing to say about the holiday cover and not being able to let people have leave but there may be some people who would be happy to get the money from doing the KIT days so maybe they think that would be a possibility.
Also I know legally they shouldn't contact you etc but if you are very senior in the company and are off for 12 months (which you are of course entitled to) I think sometimes there needs to be a bit of give and take.

YANBU. Intrusive and unprofessional of them. It’s not your problem that they don’t have enough staff to cover some days, it’s very cheeky to keep bothering you about this during your mat leave. I would consider this a huge red flag.