AIBU to feel resentful about repeated maternity leave cover at work

[Kedgey55]

Posting this here to get a different perspective and I'm aware this may sound controversial.

I'm 39 F no kids (by choice), never really felt any desire to have them. I'm a healthcare professional. Lately I've found myself getting more and more frustrated by what seems like an endless conveyerbelt of maternity leave to sort and cover for. Since I'm in healthcare it's challenging to get cover so often staff left behind including myself are left to pick up the slack. In my department we've barely been able to do much development work in over 5 years as a result. In an extreme case, an entire service is on hold basically until the manager returns from mat leave. I really don't want to feel like this but it is really hard to not feel resentful of women for this. I know it's awful but I can see why people would prefer to employ men. And I'm frustrated by the fact that women then seemingly always return part time while the husband/partner remains full time. Returning part time creates a whole host of other issues. And it disappoints me that there is not more sharing of the work/childcare split between men and women. And then of course when so many women return part time, obviously this limits future opportunities so this probably goes some way to explain the gender pay gap.

I realise that there needs to be equal mat and pat leave to encourage this to be shared more equally between men and women and until we have that, of course it makes financial sense for the woman to stay off work for longer. And I realise it is not womens fault we don't get mat cover- that is an organisational and national funding issue.

But it sometimes feels like the challenges the staff not on mat leave face are unacknowledged and I think this is what irritates me the most. It feels like there is a whole load of noise surrounding women's rights regarding mat cover, flexible working, childcare, equal pay etc etc, but there is never any acknowledgment of the significant challenges linked to all this, which unfortunately are a reality. I'm not saying these things should go (ofc they shouldn't) but some acknowledgment of the complexities of the issues and the burden placed on other staff would be nice sometimes.

Just needed to rant and tell me if I'm being unreasonable :)

This. Your anger and resentment are misplaced. Any well-run organisation would have a proper, well trained maternity cover, and would organise the return in a way that works for the company as well as the employee.

The way you word your OP @Kedgey55 shows a lot of resentment towards mothers and women in general. You need to check yourself as it seems there are other issues at play here.

People have children for themselves (and good on them if that's what they want), please don't make out you're doing some great act of continuing humanity. People who are never born can't regret not being alive.

The planet would breathe a sigh of relief if mankind died out.

Oh that’s interesting maybe it varies by job type, I’ve worked in a few large corporate companies at senior levels and may cover has been sourced and onboarded before mat leave starts, with a one month cross over either side for onboarding.

A question for all those saying 'it's a management issue', which I do agree with by the way - are you saying that in your workplace, there is actually proper maternity cover? For all jobs, including where the person taking leave isn't someone who's job is easily picked up in a few days/weeks at most? How does that work?

Maybe they’re too busy providing cover at work for those mums-to-be!

I bet you would not breathe sign of relieve if you are directly affected by it.

Have you not seen adverts for "maternity cover"? Yes, we hire someone for the time period to cover. Usually contract work.

Maternity cover is not covered in my workplace as it takes about a year to train someone up. So unless someone retired would come back, there is no point.

Every where I have worked does this, replacement is sourced months before and then there is a one month cross over to onboard them. Mat leavers are expected to prepare full handover packs. Mat covers are contracted for just over a year to account for cross overs. I actually thought this was just normal as it’s been the same in every company I have worked in.

Obviously your’large corporate companies’ have never included the NHS!

So are there 'senior managers' out there who are happy to take on a role that's only guaranteed for 12-18 months at most? Also professionals like accountants, solicitors, doctors etc?

Work in the nhs for a few years then try telling yourself this!

You will get locum doctors to cover. It's posts where there are already a shortage of suitable people.
In my workplace it takes an average of eighteen months to recruit a senior manager. There is a big focus on succession planning

but it is really hard to not feel resentful of women for this.

It’s actually very easy to not resent women due to an employers mismanagement of their staff.

Well I didn't say I would, did I, I said the planet would.

But come on, presenting yourself as having children in order to ensure the continuation of our species? When the world's population is 8 billion and still growing. 😆😆😆

You don’t work in the NHS do you!

Well yes, but usually for posts like receptionist, cleaners, junior lab technicians. Never people with professional qualifications or management roles.

I think the only answer is that women stop having babies, a population is overrated anyway.
Alternatively we should just not hire women at all, it worked in the old days when women were owned by men I think it could work again

Well obviously not but I just assumed this was normal everywhere and shocked that it is not. I can see where the OPs frustrations are then if this isn’t the norm. I would also be upset as the person going on mat leave that my role as a whole is being shared out among colleagues to have to take on and that my role as a whole isn’t being looked after. I have also done mat leave contracts and take it very seriously that you are essentially making sure someone’s job is looked after while they are off and that they come back and everything is in good order and their job is still secure.

Maybe the manager is on maternity leave!

They are usually written as 1 year full time contracts in the job postings. I’ve done mat leave cover contracts.

Yes there are people who specialise in working like this and agencies that exist to supply them.

Some people like moving from job to job.

They aren't usually advertised, they are filled through agencies and often referred to as "interims".

Yes a lot of people like contracting and it pays more like 20 percent more. I said above I’ve done mat leave contracts and worked full time and had mat leave cover to cover my role, and recruited mat leave cover for people in my team going on mat leave. There’s no shortage of people doing mat leave cover contracts in my field (tech)

Nope, I mean professional. Its not an issue as its quite normal to hire professional staff on a contract in case you have a big project, and then they leave after its done.

These people would not be in a leading role but would be good enough to be team members.