To resigned from job?

[chrissy886]

I came back to work from maternity leave last week and the hours, times and days that were agreed have since been moved around so much and not accommodating to my childcare arrangements.

Manager would call and text even out of hours which I found quite stressful and always wanted to push the time back like for example a 5pm -8pm start (when partner would get back from work) start was agreed and now all of a sudden she wanted to change it to 10am and pressuring me to start when the team starts (I work form home).
It caused havoc.

My child is teething, having sleep regression and I am exhausted to be honest with the lack of sleep on top of dealing with her constant change of plans.

I have had a bad cold this weekend I called sick yesterday and she wouldn't stop calling.
I emailed HR this morning to advise them that I would be leaving immediately as it just didn't seem to be working.
Have I acted rationally or was it the right thing to do?

Definitely sounds like it’s not working for either you, or your employer.

It does sound very much like you’ve spat your dummy and flounced though, but your leaving is probably best all round.

It does rather sound like you have over reacted OP. If you have an HR department, why didn't you speak to them about the changes being asked of you, versus what you expected to go back to? Also, do you think you might be suffering from PND, as this seems to have been a very over the top reaction to me? If you have a partner on the scene, what do they think about your quitting so quickly after returning to work?

Do you have to pay any of your maternity pay back?

Are you a trade union member?

Can you afford to now be in work, do you have any mat payback clauses?

But you've been back one week, it does seem like an overreaction.

You could have called a union, not HR.

We had agreed the times, days and hours well in advance and I had made childcare arrangements to accommodate this.

The manager wanted to change this for whatever reason and messing up my whole childcare arrangement and causing me a lot of stress.

My partner doesn't think I should have gone back to work.
Financially we will be OK.

You may still have a case for constructive dismissal, contact your union and/or Citizen's Advice

I think my biggest concern would be whether you have to pay back Mat Leave pay.

your manager sounds unreasonable- but this possibly could have been handled better.

If I was off sick I would have ignored all contact til I was back at work. I would have got a sick note and clarified my grievances and what was agreed before I resigned as a last resort.

But then you speak to HR, you don't just leave.

Trade Union?
I don't think I am a member.

Even when I was on maternity leave if I missed her call and didn't get back to her straight away she would email HR.

This is a call centre job which has a high staff turnover, I have been here 3 years.

I have always worked part time as part as my contract, when I wanted to come back they tried to claim I couldn't work part time as per my contacts and it would be full time.

If you don't start work till 5pm why is she continuing to contact you at 10 am?

Partner? Not husband? Get back to work ASAP, it's mad to be a SAHM if unmarried.

@Theunamedcat exactly she will just bombard me with texts from 10am from when she starts.

I do have some savings and I used to do beauty prior to lockdown hence why I started this job.

I will probably just go back to doing beauty now and hours that fit around childcare.

This was extremely stressful as it's a sales target cold calling job.

If you don’t need the money, then not irrational if it’s not working for you. If you do need the money, I’d have maybe tried to resolve with your employer before resigning.

This. It's mad indeed. Just like not being in a union in a shitty job.

Oh well. You've done it now. I suspect there were more sensible ways of handling it, but that ship has sailed.

If its in your interests to leave then do however, your employer has acted unreasonably if they are changing your agreed hours and your manager has behaved as you described.

With over 2 years service you would have a claim for constructive dismissal as a pp indicated.

You haven't behaved rationally and should have handled things better, however if you regret your decision, i would suggest you quickly contact HR to explain you resigned in haste due to the treatment by your line manager and the impossible position they've put you in with changing your hours. They may tell you it's too late, but most HR departments would realise the risks and possibly allow you to retract your resignation.

That would hopefully allow you time to make a decision in time rather than in a reactionary fashion. As pp have said , you are vulnerable without being married and I think you'd be mad to give up a job due to the behaviour of your manager which can hopefully be resolved.

So I think its worth a shot at contacting HR but you'd need to be quick.

Definitely join a union. You seemed like you weren't sure if you were in a union, you join and pay every month, it's not loads but very useful for protecting yourself!! You might well have to pay back mat leave. And it's very important to keep your career going otherwise you have no financial power when your kids are older and no freedom. The job sounded ideal for working round kids, I worked full time in a hospital when mine were that age all different shifts and it was hard but so glad I never quit.