Can you be made redundant.......

[chocolateme]

while on maternity leave. I work in the civil service and have just found out I am pregnant. I am already stressing out about the pending cuts & with the knowledge that I will be taking Mat leave am sick with worry at the thought of it all.

Yes, they can make you redundant while you're in maternity leave but they can't use maternity as a reason. They also have to treat you fairly so if they are asking staff to apply for other jobs you must have the same opportunity to do this as every other person.

Yes, you can be. They can't choose you because you are on maternity though.

Also, you have preference over everyone else (except other women on maternity) who are suitable for any vacancies, so you have a much better chance of being re-deployed.

so id be in no worse a position than if I didnt go on mat leave???

You can be made redundant while on maternity leave. It must be a genuine redundancy situation. If you are made redundant on maternity leave you must be offered, before anyone else, any suitable alternative vacancy. You might be slighly better off than those not on maternity leave because of this.

Thank you all for the advice x