Employment Law - redundancy

[The4thSister]

Hi,
Just wondering if anyone can give some advice please?

I have been in a role for nearly 7 years, the role was new so responsibilites evolved from the initial JD.

Whilst on mat leave, they didn't recruit a cover, but handed part of my role to a junior worker to support their development. I returned from mat leave, found out the above and that the firm had recruited a new role (diff dept, FTC) and the other part of my role had been given to this person.

I came back from mat leave and took back the part of the role the Jnr had been doing, and was promised new projects. 18 mo ths later this hasn't happened and I am now being told my role is being made redundant but the FTC role is now moving into my dept and being made permanent.

Do I have any comeback? I am so confused, and feeling very low at the moment so please be kind. Thank you.

How long have you been back from materinity leave?

Also, you may get more responses in chat than here for now.

It’s massively complicated throwing a mat leave in the mix
you’ll get a lot of well meaning but not necessarily correct advice
this is one for the professionals so union or acas type of thing

Call ACAS, they are incredibly helpful. You will get a lot of conflicting information from well meaning posters but it’s well worth getting legal advice. But definitely start with ACAS.

Thank you, I have been back 18 months

How long were you off on maternity leave. I believe after a certain time, your employer has to give you a job with similar contractual benefits but not forcibly your previous job. They could possibly defend that you came back to a different job and that job is made redundant.

Was it implied that you were back doing the exact same role, with reduced workload? Did you come back on the same hours?

The rules are that you have the right to return to the same job if you take up to 26 weeks maternity leave. After that, your employer can move you to a suitable alternative role if the employer has a genuine reason why it is not possible to return you to your original role. If the job still exists or would still exist if you hadn't gone on maternity leave, your employer cannot offer you a different job.

It appears OP's employer may have acted unlawfully over her return to work. However, as that happened 18 months ago she is now well past the time limit for taking action.

OP needs to consult a lawyer who specialises in employment law. They will be able to advise whether she has a claim.