Returning to work after mat leave feeling unwanted

[Working95]

Hello

I am on maternity leave due to return Mid-May. The first two weeks of May are annual leave.

When I return, I have requested to reduce my hours. And have my working from home days written into my contract. I used to work two days per week from home 2 years before pregnancy. I also requested to extend my maternity leave.

I submitted my flexible work application Mid December. I was told instantly it was accepted and that a contract would follow early January as the service would close over Christmas. Early January I had a chat with my manager who confirmed again that it had been agreed and he would make enquiries to get a new contract to me.

Since then, I have received nothing. I have chased every few weeks to be told that he is waiting on xyz from finance manager. After months of this, I contacted Finance manager a few weeks go who said they were unaware of any changes and havent been asked to provide anything.

I dont want to be this person but I am feeling anxious at returning from a long period away (first baby) and I have so much guilt about returning and putting baby into nursery (nothing to do with employer i get thats my responsibility) but this is making it seem unpleasant. Like I am not wanted back or not a priority.

I am the HR director so have told them multiple times that they have 2 months to respond and give an outcome to a flexible work request and that they are currently in breach of this policy. My replacement seems unbothered by this and keeps telling me "but its been agreeed". I just dont understand how its 5 months later and they are unable to document it.

What would you do? I have drafted an email to say I wont be working anymore keeping in touch days until it is sorted out. I also said that given I am in a no pay period I trust it is going to be processed accordingly or I will take it further.

Dh, dm and friends thinks i am making something out of nothing but it feels off and I wouldnt allow this to happen to someone if I were there.

Thank you

Report me if you like, but I don't believe that I have broken any talk guidelines - it isn't against the rules to say things that people don't necessarily want to hear.

However, I've made my point and I'll let it drop now.

You get paid for your KIT days so the only person affected by you refusing to work them is you. If you have it in writing make sure you have a copy on your personal computer. That is effectively a contract

Of course you haven’t.
Op is quite extraordinarily prickly, given that she’s been given good advice which she hadn’t been able to work out for herself.
You’d have to wonder why such people start threads in the first place.

Congratulations OP, so often on here we read about people in the wrong job for them. You clearly have the role most suited to you. Im sure they are missing you, at the same time it’s only your type of role in a bigger organisation that has any interest in this. Respect their skill sets, embrace yours, and relish sorting out the mess your cover leaves you.

It’s not you that is unimportant or not welcome, it’s simply that such tasks are very low on the priority list for people in other roles.

You're missing a fundamental point here. OP describes herself as the HR Director. As a director she remains legally obliged to discharge her duties as an officer of the company, even whilst on maternity leave. This would include HR obligations. So, in theory she could take the company to court but what would she achieve?

Managers get fed up of staff who bring them problems.

She’s not a director in the legal sense of the term.

Op says she works for a very small company. It’s unlikely she’s actually heading up an entire HR department.
Director may be gilding the lily somewhat.

I can understand the OP getting a bit upset about this. She says that she is the HR director so presumably they have a temporary acting HR director in place at present. If she is getting worried, I would wonder whether this company has some history of being slippery in the past. The HR director won’t be a cheap person to employ and it is surprising how often companies dick about in cases like this.

It sounds like they've emailed you confirming it? I think if you've got it in writing then that's pretty much the most important thing. I'd keep gently chasing but my impression would be that your replacement is a bit crap and without a proper hr director it's all not as slick as it should be, not that they're trying to screw you over. I mean, worst case scenario you just work those hours/days as per the agreement and if they say anything/challenge you, then you can start all the things you've raised (constructive dismissal etc) but don't start all of that yet. I agree it's sloppy and poor management but I suspect it's because of your role, they're assuming you'll be chilled about it, and the person in charge of ensuring it's done properly will presumably be losing their job when you return - so they're not super motivated to do their best for you either. I'd try not to worry, wait and see, if there is something dodgy going on then you will see it all more clearly when actually back.