Post not being back-filled when on Maternity Leave

[LostGeek]

Hi. I hope you can help. I work in a public sector organisation which is trying to make as many staffing cuts as possible. They are doing their best to avoid compulsory redundancies and have just run a voluntary scheme. They got quite a lot of applicants but not evenly across the organisation and they are now talking about redeploying staff. In these hard times, vacant posts are no longer automatically back filled. Managers must make a case to a senior management team to fill a vacancy. I believe my managers will not be allowed to back fill my post when I go on maternity leave in the Spring.

My question is, where does this leave me?

If I wasn't pregnant, they wouldn't get rid of my post so quickly. Is it legal for them to use my pregancy as a reason to leap into action?

If I come back in 6 months, do they HAVE to give me my old job back?

Thanks!

in 6 months, yes you have to have your job back, under the usual run of things. in a redundacy situation i think they can makle your job redundant but have to slot you into an euivalent if at all possible.
i think, but no doubt someone will be on soon who knows.
you have more protection because you're pg.

Just because they don't get maternity cover for your post has no bearing on whether the job is still there for you to come back to in 6 months. At 6 months mat leave they must give you your old job back. After 6 months they must give you an equivalent job.

You can be made redundant while on maternity leave but you are much more protected than someone who isn't on mat leave so most employers (with any sense) shy away from making staff who are on maternity leave redundant.

Thanks!! Feeling reassured.

What is the subtle difference between the expression "back-filled" and just the word "filled"

My job isn't being covered whilst I'm on mat leave. It's standard in my council even prior to cuts. My job covers a lot of statutory work with is having to be shared out meaning the non-stat stuff is getting cut