I’m not sure how to respond to what’s happened at work.
Background - there’s a build up of a few things, then I’ll share the biggie that has triggered me.
My boss resigned last year and she thought I was a dead certain to replace her. By the time her role was advertised I had to inform my employer I was pregnant. I’ve been with the company for 5 years, each year rated “outstanding”, always asked for on different projects and lots of supporters.
Once the role was advertised a couple of people said “well you don’t need to worry about that now you’re pregnant”. My career has always been a priority. I applied for the role, was the best candidate (said one of the interviewers) but the main executive decided to hire someone external. The reasons I wasn’t taken forward didn’t really make sense to me, or others. I was devastated but then tried to focus on maternity leave.
Other challenges I faced, my new boss made an assumption I’d take a year off - I had to correct him, as work is really important for me, and he kept assuming I’d be checking out.
Baby is now 5 weeks old. I had a call last week with my boss to receive my year end appraisal and bonus. I did get a good bonus (although slightly less than last year), but zero salary increase. Some people did get one, others didn’t, so hard to know if it’s fair or not.
The kicker - he wrote in my appraisal “2024 will be a challenging year, not least because of your personal priorities”
I find it offensive that he’s making firstly assumptions about my priorities, and second, to write about my maternity leave in my appraisal.
I’m thinking about best approach:
- Approach him directly and educate him
- Report to HR
- Get advice from confidential employee hotline
What would you do? I don’t want to burn bridges, but I want acknowledgement that they are not treating me with respect or listening to what I want (to continue building my career).