AIBU to feel frustrated about manager's repeated maternity leave?

[ShesPregnantAgain]

My manager, let's call her Betty, has just announced her fifth pregnancy. I've enthusiastically congratulated her but I'm actually pissed off. She's barely been at work for the past 7 years. She gets pregnant, that makes her ill so she's off for most of her pregnancy, then 9 months on maternity leave, comes back and a few months later does it all again.

The job she used to do doesn't really exist any more. The company's moved on: all the people, systems and expectations are different. They get in maternity cover for her every time so someone gets trained up, actually does a good job, does a handover when she comes back and then leaves. It's so disruptive.

I know the company can't fire her for pregnancy-related sickness or for taking maternity leave per her statutory rights. They can't even performance manage her because she's never here long enough, or appoint one of her covers to do the job permanently. None of us can work for promotion to her level because that would discriminate against her. Her manager does promote people out sideways and upwards but she's just there, filling the role without actually doing anything. We all just get on without her.

I know that women, me included, benefit from these protections because of the crap women suffered in the past. I just think she's taking the piss.

I worked with someone like this. She had six maternity leaves and was in a quite high up position. It made life really hard for the rest of us. In the end I left and she was one of the reasons why - she was either on maternity leave or pregnant and unable to do her job properly. I was so tired of doing her job and mine.

YANBU. And for everyone dying on their hill defending this woman - calm down, on this forum most of us are either all current or have been working mums (because in this economy a SAHM is rarer and rater).

You would all sing a different tune if you had to pick up her work load and be paid less over 7 years. Or if you ran a small business and have to cater to this piss take. And don’t give me crap about what if the pregnancies were unplanned: it’s 2026, not 1826.

And actually, women like this do ruin it for everyone else. Other people on this thread have posted that this is why they are hesitant to hire women of childbearing age. It fucks it for the rest of us. Feminism is not never calling other women out when they’re being shits. What she does suits her, she’s playing the system and good for her. But if you’re quick to cry misogyny, consider the extra workload and disruption she is placing on other working mums in that workplace. Consider the effect it has on other women of childbearing age who want to get hired and don’t because of piss takes like this. And yes, I wish the latter weren’t so but sadly we still live in a capitalist society, so unless you have a solution for that with a bottomless money pit, the rest of us have to get on with it.

Oh yeah cos us ladies need to stick together. We couldn't possibly have different views could we? No, we have the 'women's opinion' .. the hive mind. Do you seriously believe women should not have different views from each other? That is the epitome of misogyny.

I understand why it’s annoying. Unpopular opinion but I think it’s gross to have more than 3 children anyway. Can see why you’re frustrated even though it’s allowed

Yes, possible some were but 5 is a stretch by anyone's standards. I'd go so far as to say that anyone who had more than 3 unplanned pregnancies probably has a rather low IQ and/or a chaotic lifestyle.

Plus all the time off with 'pregnancy related problems'.

It's women like this who do the rest of the women no favours.

All this woman seems to be doing is collecting a lot of money for a minute amount of work. Hopefully the management will be able to get rid of her, she can't be able to keep up to date when she's hardly ever there.

I'm all ears for suggestions on how the company should be managing her, that I can suggest at my next 1:1 when I ask what they're planning to do when she goes off sick in a week or so.

Whilst wfh?????????????????

@ShesPregnantAgain That the section is reorganized! You need to read up on how to rationalise staffing.

Rather than ask that, why don't you volunteer to take on the job while she's off sick, since you're ending up training the maternity placement how to do it anyway?

Or you have ideas about how her work is covered by others. Then they might see her job isn’t needed. Ask them what they think should happen? I just think it poor management.

It's more travel than I'd want to take on long-term TBH.

That’s because they aren’t off “sick” when pregnant or having 9 months off for maternity leave!

I don't know how that would happen without making one of the other managers redundant. There are 3 managers. 2 of them (both women BTW) do a great job. 1 of them - Betty - doesn't. If the department is reorganised to need 2 managers then from what I read up on from Acas, Betty has to be offered one of those jobs ahead of one of the other managers. Why wouldn't she say yes? It's not like she's actually going to have to do the job anyway. Then we end up with Betty not doing a bigger job than she's already not doing, and a good manager being made redundant. If it's possible for the situation to not occur, it should absolutely be done though!

The way they get rid of her is to make work less cosy for her. They need to insist she has childcare in place for her small children, or make her return to the office and not wfh. The owners of that company are failing themselves and their other employees.

🙄RTFT! As per one of OP’s updates, this woman has worked just 6 months out of the last seven years… That goes well beyond simply having multiple children and into the realm of taking advantage of your employer and colleagues.

I worked with someone like this. We managed her out.

How did you manage it?

What a horrible misogynistic post. Talking about popping out babies....the birth rate is in the pits anyway and unless we adoot some pronatalist policies quick smart the West as we know it is basically toast. This woman is doing important work she needs a fucking medal not to be villified for her very alturistic choices.

Wow.

I know. This situation is clearly quite unusual. Good for her actually having kids and keeping her job.

Well she doesn't have maternity protection when she isn't pregnant yet. So it would be foolish to tell her employer that she plans to

Yeah what an altruist for hanging on to a job where she has worked for 6 months out of the last 7 years, keeping that job from another woman who might actually work. What a hero.