Changes in working hours

[squeezed]

For the last 6 months I've been on temporary reduced hours as part of a work life balance policy. A few weeks ago I confirmed with my line manager that I would be returning to ft hours starting the 6 weeks before taking maternity leave. I assumed this would therefore be in hand. I've contacted hr to double check the arrangements, but they need a form submitted by line manager to action this. Line manager is notoriously poor at being proactive, so I've emailed asking for this to be done and left messages. I'm yet to have a response.
I've been signed off until my annual leave kicks in due to a number of pregnancy related complications and am worried that employers will try yet again to screw me over financially. Am I right in thinking that they cannot go back on what we discussed prior to me be signed off?

Just to be clear, are you wanting to return to full time hours but it's during a period that you will be signed off and not actually in work so you're wanting to receive full time sick pay?

Whilst I can see the obvious benefits for you I have idea why your employer would agree to this you wouldn't be 'screwed over'. They'd be doing it as a massive favour.

I don't think they'd be legally obliged to agree to this at all.

I'd say unlikely the would agree to that either as what are they gaining out of it, if you are only entitled to statutory maternity pay then can't see a problem however if you have enhanced, if I was an employer, I wouldn't agree to that either.

It won't impact on my enhanced maternity pay because it won't be my qualifying weeks. I will be using my annual leave to cover the full time hours when they start, prior to maternity leave starting.
My employers get cover for my full time hours and will retain this cover for my maternity leave and have said that it is in their interests previously.
The issue I think is that they previously agreed to it formally, but haven't actioned it. Now they may try to stop it happening and this is where I thought I may be able to challenge.
I've already been trying to resolve an issue with pay because a male colleague with the same experience and role is being paid more than me so getting financial issues resolved can be challenging.

I don't think it's been formally agreed until the firm has been submitted and signed off which isn't the case.

What did your line manager say at the time when it was verbally discussed?

That should be form not firm!

Also, does your line manager also have the sole authority to approve this or does it need signed off by a higher level manager or HR manager also?

At the time we discussed it he said that it was fine and agreed I would go back to ft hours. He already knows the period is covered by my annual leave. Also he said that it would help me me get more maternity pay, but I explained to him that it wouldn't due to my qualifying weeks being last year. Decisions are carried out locally by the line manager but hr are national. It was arranged as temporary and time limited so no permanent change to my contract.

Was there an end date specified on your temporary reduced hours contract?

The version of the form was for temporary reduction in hours for 6 months and to finish the end of March. It was reviewed last month when we both confirmed I wouldn't be making another request for the reduced hours again. It's not a rolling form.

If it's not a rolling form then it sounds as if you should be returning to your full time hours at the end of March. If the temporary form isn't rolling what happens if the new form isn't submitted? Do you automatically revert?

Thats the bit that doesn't make sense, it's not a rolling form but there is apparently not a reversion to the original hours without another form being submitted. Seems contradictory to me. There is a lot of bureaucracy with forms for everything. I think it is an oversight by the line manager and not the first to be honest.