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Original poster

Not aware of possible promotion while on maternity leave

12 replies

FlubbaBubba · 12/06/2011 23:28

Hi, hopefully someone can advise me as I'm frustrated by this but not sure where I stand.

I am a teacher and am currently on maternity leave (due to return in January 2012). I had a KIT meeting about a month ago with HT to discuss my possible role when (if?) I return. No mention made of any promotions.

I have since found out that two colleagues of mine have been internally promoted to positions that I could well easily have applied for and with which, IMHO, I could have been successful.

(btw, I found out through checking work emails and saw the ad and then the congratulations email - both of which were sent to all staff.)

Do I have a responsibility to check work emails while on maternity leave?
Does the school have a responsibility to alert me to any possible promotions (either to my home email, or in a different way?) while I'm on maternity leave?

Feel I've been overlooked (I assume unintentionally) because of being on mat. leave. :(

Will bump this in the morning but had to write this now as it's going round and round in my head now and stopping me sleeping.

OP posts:

1Catherine1 · 13/06/2011 00:10

I think unless they blocked your access to the school e-mail system (assuming you can access it at home) then it was probably your responsibility to check. I know I occasionally check mine (am also a teacher on ML) but I must admit I didn't check until my DD was about 8 weeks old - I just didn't have time and even then I just scanned through who it was from and the subject and only opened it if it looked relevant to me. I now have a couple of hundred unread e-mails but I do browse them once a week.

I personally would expect my line manager to tell me if there was any promotion that might be of interest to me but I'm sure she isn't under any obligation to. I understand how frustrated you must feel and perhaps your line manager assumed you wouldn't be interested in a promotion so soon after having a new baby even though I recognise that it is not up to them to decide.

I am impressed you are looking at taking more responsibility when you return to work next year. I am going back full time in September but my focus is going to be my daughter - no more working till 11pm each night.

Original poster

FlubbaBubba · 13/06/2011 06:54

Thanks for your reply. Line manager is the HT and she knows I'm interested in moving up - I was promoted to cover a sabbatical last term (so was in my last trimester of pregnancy), so that in itself shouldn't be an issue for them.

Yes, I am really frustrated by it and feel annoyed that I didn't notice the ad in the first place properly. I am checking sporadically and scan-reading.

Grrrrrrrrrrr.

OP posts:

Original poster

FlubbaBubba · 13/06/2011 11:25

bump

OP posts:

Original poster

FlubbaBubba · 13/06/2011 18:26

Shameless bump for evening crowd.

OP posts:

BranchingOut · 13/06/2011 18:28

I am fairly sure that there is a responsibility to alert you to opportunities for promotion or any possible restructuring, however they could possibly argue that they had done so by sending you the email to your work account.

Original poster

FlubbaBubba · 13/06/2011 18:47

I thought that branching out, but surely then they should have let me know before I went on maternity leave that any promotions or important information would be sent via email and I should check in from time to time.

When the HT wanted our Keeping In Touch meeting, her PA called me at home. When the member of staff whose sabbatical I had covered wanted something clarifiying, she called me at home. Pay slips are sent in the post.

Still a bit harrumphy about it all :(

OP posts:

flowery · 13/06/2011 19:36

How do you normally find out about vacancies when you are at work FlubbaBubba?

Did you give them an alternative email address and ask them to use that for the duration of your maternity leave for contact?

When you were going off on maternity leave was there any discussion on either part about what would happen in the event of an internal vacancy? What did you think was going to happen in that eventuality?

Sorry for all the questions! Yes you should be notified of promotional opportunities, but it sounds as though they might have a pretty strong argument that you were.

Original poster

FlubbaBubba · 13/06/2011 21:49

Normally mentioned in whole staff meetings, (and backed up by an email I suppose)

Yes, I gave them my home email to use for the duration of my leave.

No discussions prior to my leaving - as I say, I was in a promotion position covering the sabbatical of another member of staff for the term leading up to my maternity leave.

No problem about the questions - just a bit pissed off that I should be checking my work emails quite so regularly to ensure that I don't miss important stuff like this. Really I'd have hoped that my HT would have got hold of me via my home email, phone or post to say did you see the advert?

The ad came out with 4 days to 'express an interest' and less than two weeks to apply.

OP posts:

Original poster

FlubbaBubba · 13/06/2011 21:55

Oh, and one of those two weeks was half-term!

OP posts:

BranchingOut · 15/06/2011 08:03

I think you can probably feel reasonably annoyed about this but need to evaluate whether or not it is worth making a complaint. If the appointments had not yet been made then you could ask for the closing date to be extended, but as they have then what recompense are you looking to get...

I feel your pain as my first school had a habit of advertising posts, sometimes quite senior, on the staffroom notice board but wording the advert so precisely that sometimes only one person was eligible to apply eg. the preferred candidate! Unfairness around recruitment/promotions was one of the reasons why I eventually left.

Original poster

FlubbaBubba · 15/06/2011 09:23

Yes, the people who've been appointed are very much the ones I knew would get the job, so maybe I've saved myself the time and effort of applying, and the embarrassment of not getting them.

Still might mention it when I next go in, in a kind of "I was disappointed not to be notified..." type way, so they know I was keen, and so they (hopefully) reconsider how they go about these promotions in the future.

OP posts:

cailin1974 · 21/06/2011 20:32

Hi
I have just become aware of a similar situation in my workplace - a deputy manger role has been appointed from within my team and I was not made aware of it ( and would have been the only only contender for the post). From what I can read online (and without professional advice) my employer has a duty to notify me:

Employers should note that they must, in any event, keep the employee informed of promotion opportunities and other information relating to her job that she would normally be made aware of if she was working.

Work has my home email and address and I have receievd several mailings and email re other work issues during my mat leave, I have also been emailing my line manager and colleagues just to say hi and hope all is well.

I hope someone more clued up on the legal obligations can answer your question because I am v interested, esp as I have requested part time work on return and I now have a meeting next Tuesday to discuss!

I will keep reading and send on any information that might be helpful.

Flip