Changes to my existing role whilst 20 weeks pregnant

[Crystal049]

I'm 20 weeks pregnant and due to leave work on 24th July (on holiday for 3 weeks) before official maternity leave starts on 17th August.

I'm currently a Marketing Operations Manager at a company I've been working at for 2.5 years. We are hiring a new Campaign Manager (permanent) who will be taking on my role and all of my direct reports will be moving to her when she starts at the end of April. I have had nothing official in writing saying that my direct reports are moving to this role.

My director has said he wants me to do a higher level Operations role similar to a 'Head of Operations' reporting directly to him rather than the Head of Marketing (currently my boss) With no direct reports. I am more than happy to do this higher level operations role, but I'm worried that they are stripping my current responsibilities and giving it to this new Campaign Manager and then when I go on mat leave they turn around and say we don't need this higher level ops role anymore.

I guess I'd like to know a) could they effectively do this, strip my current role and give to someone else and then not have a role for me? b) nothing is in writing, should they be putting it in writing? c) should I get a payrise and better benefits suitable to this role even though I go in mat leave in 3 months? d) he still wasn't sure about my new job title but if I keep my same job title does this make any difference to anything?

Thanks for your help.

I don't have specific knowledge but I think you're right to be thinking about it. My question would be did this new role only get created once you announced you were pregnant/did the taking over of your direct reports only get added in after you'd told them? If the answer is "yes" then I'd be very worried in your shoes. My understanding of working after mat leave is that the company has to offer you a role, but it doesn't have to be your old role or the hours you'd like so they could potentially change your role anyway. As for negotiating better rates, take out the pending mat leave and ask yourself "would I normally be thinking about negotiating a better deal for this job?" If yes then go for it-if you get any occupational mat pay this night effect how much you get so worth doing.

Hopefully somebody with more specific knowledge will come along failing that call a local solicitors firm who specialise in employment law and see if they'll give you a free one off advice session over the phone.

Good luck

Could be all above board but I think I'd be suspicious in your shoes. I'd repost this in Legal matters (comes under the Talk/Other stuff section). I think you need to get the legal side straight and hopefully someone there can advise...

Thanks guys, have reported in legal too. I think that's the problem it could be underhand, but it could also be a good thing as it means I'm moving up the ranks but I guess I'm suspicious because I think I'll be on mat leave in 3 months so wouldn't they want someone doing that role now rather than waiting for a year? Maybe I'm being overly paranoid. Our Ops Director just handed in her notice so there is a huge operations gap and I think they want me to part fill it.