to think this isn't reasonable contact during maternity leave?

[InWithTheITCrowd]

I?m the head of I.T at a Secondary School (support staff, non-teaching) and am on maternity leave. Now, I have my KIT days, and have arranged a few dates to go into work for specific projects that need my help/an extra body to run. I have no problem in doing that. There is also someone covering my role for me whilst I am on maternity leave, although with not quite as much experience/training as me.
These last few weeks I have had several emails from various staff members asking for my help with ?little? problems. Gradually this seems to have built up, and a few people are asking me if I can ?pop in? or phone them or respond via email to queries etc. I don?t mind doing the odd thing to help out, and I wouldn?t expect to get paid for it (ie like a KIT day) but it seems to be getting out of hand now. Last week I had 4 requests, and this week, I have had 8 such requests from 8 different staff members - one even sent an email to ALL STAFF asking if anyone had my personal mobile number so she could phone me for some help with something. It?s not all small stuff either - one head of faculty asked me to write a proposal for changes to the IT curriculum, and another wanted me to apply for funding for their faculty - jobs that would take several hours/days really.
AIBU to expect to be left alone to a certain extent whilst on maternity, or is this something other people have experienced? I don?t mind being contacted, and I don?t mind helping out, but I think this is a bit much. I don?t have any friends with small babies, so don?t have much knowledge of what?s normal in this situation. Incidentally, DS is 10 months old, but I didn?t start my maternity until Jan of this year, as DH took the first 4 months off. I won?t be starting back at work until December. I?d just be interested to hear your experiences, as if this seems a bit excessive, then I?ll contact the head teacher and ask him to sort it out.
Thanks

I've no legal experience here, but yes it seems excessive.

I'd bet thousands on the theory that they are being influenced by the fact that your DS is 10 months old. So they think you're not on 'proper' maternity leave and are simply swanning around doing nothing.

Since this is absolute nonsense as we all know, I think it needs nipping in the bud asap by the head as you suggest.

Even if you were just swanning around, that is no business of theirs and your leave should be respected in the same way as everyone else's.

Wow. When I was on maternity leave, nobody at work asked me for anything. I was on leave. I'm a bit shocked tbh that they're contacting you at all.

I think it's down to you to set the boundaries, tbh. What's 'normal' in this situation is pretty variable, I should imagine. I wonder if because (presumably) you went back to work whilst dh was with ds early on, your colleagues somehow think you're "not properly" on maternity leave or somehow more flexible than you are.

You're not actually obliged to do ANYTHING connected with your job whilst on ANY sort of leave (maternity, annual, sick etc), though that's not a realistic position for many people. I do understand your wanting to help out a bit and keep in touch with what's going on, though.

If possible, can you decide what's reasonable and possible for you re contact and let head/line manager know? I think you need to be as clear as possible ie 'feel free to ask but be aware that I may have to say no' sort of thing.

YANBU! You're on maternity leave AND there's someone covering your role while you're off! You definitely shouldn't be having to deal with requests.

I'm also in IT and didn't hear a peep from anyone at my work (except baby-related emails!) during maternity leave.

The 'all staff' request for your personal mobile number is BONKERS! I hope nobody was daft enough to pass it on

I wasn't contacted at all while off on maternity leave, and very much have a job where I could have half expected to be contacted.

Your employers and colleagues are being very unreasonable.

I was asked in the run up to my maternity leave if I'd do the KIT days. And then if I'd come in every couple of months for two weeks to help out. And then if I'd end my mat leave after 6 months to help out with a busy time. I was then told when I'd agreed to the first request but not the last that I was letting the team down....and that it was very inconvenient for the team that I'd gotten pregnant at all.
It quickly gets out of hand - I'd nip it in the bud now if I were you.

• First two requests, but not the last

Oh, thank you for the quick replies - and thank you for the support - I?m glad I wasn?t being OTT!
I think a couple of you have hit the nail on the head, - with DS being 10 months old and with me being at work for the first 4 months. TBH that was a complete nightmare, and the only reason we did it was because DH had been made redundant at very very short notice, and so I had to go back to work. Horrible, horrible it was!
I think I?ll do as you suggested, Rosebud, and ask the head to say something - ie ask me by email, but I may not reply. I am getting a bit sick of it now, and although part of me feels as though I?m quite obviously a mug irreplaceable, I should just stop answering any of them. Maybe they?ll get the message then!
I don?t know if anyone responded to the phone number one monkeynuts- that was only sent today. They?d better not have!
Thanks for the replies - I feel a bit more sane now

Poor you - that's so unacceptable. Just politely point out you're on leave and refuse to do anything more.

YANBU its a bit like replying to emails on holiday, once you start, people keep on emailing you.
I would be a little more unresponsive, they will get the message.

I ended up doing a couple of hours a day whilst on maternity, mostly because what I do is dependent on me and my name so me being totally out of contact for 6 months would pretty much mean the end of my business. I was happy to do it though but your situation sounds very different.

yy stop replying. Should be clear enough for them! Also get the headteacher to deal with too.

Then if you get phone calls, get the head to read the riot act.

I was in a similar situation, I have kept in contact and have been in to interview for replacements within my team. I arranged for mum to have DD (first time leaving her for a full day), panicked about expressing etc etc. Then they cancelled them the day before. An hour later I got a meeting request "XXX interviews (not the same, a different one not for my team ,so I'm just a panel member) 9am, one week's time"
I was livid. in the end though I just said I'd have childcare issues (was asking MIL, yes she could be there for 8.15 but it's an hour away and why should she?) and could they make it any later in the day. No, they said, so I said they'd have to get someone else.
I've also been asked by my manager to shortlist etc for other jobs, I don't mind, but I do sense a feeling that I am sat hme all day just waiting for tasks to fill my meaningless existence, oh and I have a team of willing babysitters just waiting to snap into action (DH had taken a day off for the interviews that never happened), and that I am perfectly fine to leave DD even though she's never had a bottle
But I look back and think my manager is stressed, and I failed to set the boundaries.

so I completely lied about mum taking her (if anyone bothered to read all that )
I've just realised that was for a "super important" half day meeting the week before, and as I said DH arranged a day off for the interviews.

You're an IT person - could you set up your e-mail to do an 'Out of Office' autoresponse to anything coming from the school e-mail addresses? Along the lines of 'Maternity Leave means just that - please refer all queries to my cover'?

Or - could you turn this to your advantage? They obviously feel that you could work from home - would you like to?

I have used my KIT days, am going back in 4 weeks, and have only taken on additional none KIT queries that were necessary for admin - and thus important to my pay, hours when returning etc.

You need to stop this now or you will just be a free employee.

You're not irreplacable (I mean that in the nicest way I promise), no one is, it is just easier for them to ask you than to find the answer elsewhere.

If you really feel guilty agree a KIT once a month for queries, you should be able to do this at home I would think (I was) and say you will do a normal day answering all email queries. Anything not done will have to wait until the next month.

But I'd stop it all to be honest

I actually wanted to work from home whilst on maternity leave but was told by HR, legally only allowed to do the 10 KIT days.

I would 'reply all' to the earlier email saying that whilst you are happy to help occasionally, you are actually on maternity leave until December and could all non urgent stuff be forwarded to your Cover.

Then I'd set up an auto reply giving alternative contact details. This doesn't stop you reading them and helping out when you can but it will stop them expecting a reply from you.
Good luck.

Forward (with reply all) all existing emails to current cover and set up an autoresponse saying to contact existing cover and if something really urgent and needs YOU then contact through head.
Don't go dishing out personal mobile number andask others not to as well.
If head calls for anything then say you will estimate the time and cost (half an hour per day over the next 2 weeks @ xx rate for a one day job - that kind of thing)and let her know before starting any work.
Bet you most of it will fizzle out.

Just don't respond to the emails and pretend your internet is on the blink.

Yes, I was going to say what MumNWLondon said... if you work more than 10 KIT days, then i think you forfeit your m/l, have to return to work and (i think) reimburse SMP. It depends how they allocate a 'KIT day too... at my workplace, if I do even 5 mins they classify it as a half day.

I think you need to contact the Head, citing the example of the personal 'phone number request, and ask him to contact the whole staff to let them know that you are on maternity leave until December and that any job-related contact needs to be through him. Ask him to let you know when he's done this so any subsequent e-mail/text requests can be forwarded to your cover and cc'd to him.

Whilst on maternity leave your employer is entitled to make 'reasonable contact' with you. This is likely to include the Head or your line-manager getting in touch to discuss your return or perhaps being sent notification of any relevant promotion opportunities.

Having said that, on the day that I gave birth to DD2 last year I received an e-mail from someone whose class I'd covered for one subject from Sept-Easter... she congratulated me on the arrival of DD2 then asked if I'd write reports for that subject - I'd been on maternity leave for 2 months by this stage! I forwarded that one to the Head, more for its insensitivity than anything else.

Thanks everyone - some really good advice - and especially the bits about the KIT days and them being classed as such even if I don?t do the full days. I will check with HR about this. I?ve already got an out of office on my email, with my cover?s contact details etc on and have done since I left- the trouble is, she?s one of the people flippin contacting me! Others seem to just ignore it. I have actually forwarded my concerns about my cover to the Head already, as it concerns me that she may not be fully able to do the role effectively. I just think I shouldn?t have to worry about work until I need to. My line manager has been really good, and has been v sensitive and always used the correct channels, so I think I?ll go and speak to her next week and just say that I?m not going to reply to any more emails/phone calls unless they come directly through her! I suppose, even though I know I?m protected on maternity leave, I just worry about funding and having a job to go back to! Bit oversensitive about it perhaps.
BertieBasset - I know I?m not irreplaceable, but I might just keep telling myself I am! Really appreciate the time you?ve all taken to answer my concerns - feel a lot better about it all now. Thank you

The people contacting you are being lazy. If the impetus comes from any higher up (e.g. the head), they are breaching the terms of your leave (trying to make you work when you are not being paid to do so - what a cheek!). Mind what people are saying about forfeiting maternity leave pay, as well; they can;t ask you to go against your own interests to that extent!