I'm sure I am about to be sacked, Currently on maternity leave.

[TerraNotSoFirma]

Colleague called yesterday to find out who my secret santa was for the Christmas party, Told her I hadn't been invited.
Then this evening I got an email from the boss asking me to call tomorrow as we 'need to talk about your job'
I have a very bad feeling about all this. Can they just sack me? Just like that?

Depends on a lot of factors. They can make you redundant. What job do you do. How many people do it. How long have you been there etc.

Been there 2 years, As a part time admin assistant. The company did not take on maternity cover for me but employed a new full time member of staff to do my work in my absence, on the understanding that I was coming back to work part time and would be doing the same tasks.
The business has grown whilst I have been off so it isn't due to a downturn in business.

It might not be sacking, it might just be to talk about your hours on return, another position available etc. the Santa thing is not significant, is there another reason why you are worried?

Yes, The boss did not take the news of my pregnancy well to say the least, Verbally berating me as I had previously said I was stopping at one child, He cancelled my driving lessons and a course that the company was paying for.

The new full time employee has apparently taken a dislike to me (after spending 4 days together) and is rumoured to have said she doesn't want me back in the office. (All rumour, but I do believe it as she has been quite hostile whenever I have called the office)

So all that coupled with the fact that I'm not invited to the Christmas party has got me worried.

Have you kept a diary of all these events because from the sounds of that I would not be happy at all

Yes I have it all written down and will be calling the people who ran the marketing course, On the evening of the day I told my boss I was pregnant he called the marketing course person and told him I was pg (even though I'd asked it be kept quiet) and cancelled the course.

You can understand why I'm worried?
Also, to make matters, we have been given notice on our rented property. All other properties are currently £300 more than we pay in rent at the moment. Merry Christmas indeed.

That does sound worrying - they are not allowed to stop your non-cash benefits, like the course and driving lessons - you are still a member of staff whilst on leave. Are you in a union? Is there anyone at work who could go into a meeting with you, with your boss? Poor you - so sorry to hear about your house, is it possible for you to downsize to get somewhere for the same rent? Or the housing list?

Even a one bedroom flat is more expensive now than the 3 bedroom bungalow we are in at the moment, I think we are going to have to be homeless and see if council/assoc. can help us. We have a 2 yo and a 6 month old and as my DH works 4pm-2am, I am limited as to what hours I can work. Just feel so down.

I helped start the company as well. :(

Not in a union.

Well you've got them for discrimination. They can't cancel training because you are pregnant. I would start trying to assemble evidence and keep a record of anything that happens.

So sorry you're going through this.

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate all the advice.

Hope you get this sorted. Ring acas and see what they advise.

Can you arrange a witness to be with you and put the call on speakerphone? Might be helpful if it comes down to he said/she said later on.

Yes that is a good idea re speakerphone. Will ring ACAS also.

Wish I had a posh phone that you could record calls.

Could you get a little dictaphone from somewhere like WHSmith's?

NB I think you legally have to inform people if you're recording calls. You could cover this with, "I'm just going to minute this call by dictaphone, as my hands are full/I don't want to be distracted by writing notes/an alien stole my pen."

But it might up the ante in a way you don't want.

Good luck, btw.

Tianc I thought the same about having to inform that the call is being recorded.
Maybe when he calls and the conversation heads in the direction I think it's going to, I should say that it would be best to carry on any further communication via email? Or would that be inflammatory?

Would you prefer to have it all in writing?

Could you email some excuse, "So sorry, have a lot scheduled today and may have to be out later. Could we schedule a time Monday, and can you give me some idea what the call is about, so I will know how much time to allocate it?"

Any good?

Yes that's a good idea Tianc.

Well firstly don't panic. There is nothing to suggest your job is at risk at all. You have no right to driving lessons or courses unless they are contractual benefits which is unlikely. Yes you should not be withdrawn from a course due to pregnancy but if the training is deferred until your return and does not prevent you doing your job then that's not necessarily a bad thing. It depends on your individual circumstances. However, even if it was discriminatory you have to speak up and raise a grievance. If you want to take that further you have just 3 months from date of incident.

If you're due back in the next couple of months they probably just want to talk about your return.

Not being invited to Christmas do: well if it's one where there's a payment per employee then yes you should be invited. If it's a do where you pay for yourself that's a bit different and is not depriving you of a benefit.

I've just conducted some research regarding women on maternity leave and found the majority were not invited to social events. What's interesting is where women are included they are more likely to choose to go back to work after maternity leave.

Just phone up and ask when's the party and what's the plan. Take back control. It's your maternity leave and you can control it.

The course and driving lessons were not contractual benefits but their removal smacks of sex descrimination.
The course was not deferred but transferred to the new employee. Worth noting that this was an eight week course which would have been completed and the results implemented some three months before my maternity leave began.

The party is a company event paid for by the boss.

Well if we're straying into that territory it's not sex discrimination it's pregnancy/maternity related discrimination and the law is The Equality Act 2010. However, if that is all they do you're too late to complain about it now.

Yes you should be invited then as all your colleagues are getting the benefit. If you want to go phone up and say you're coming!

Don't listen to the gossip either. Have a chat to your boss and if there is even a hint of some nasty shinanigans come back and we'll help you sort it out. There's no point upsetting yourself with things you have no evidence of because you can't do anything about that.

Thanks Kate, I'll keep you posted.

Well after receiving the text from my boss on Thursday 24th saying he needed to talk to me re: my job, He has not answered any of my texts, emails or phonecalls.

Lo and behold a redundancy letter arrived in the post this morning! Dated 24th November.

Stating that my role within the company is redundant due to the company experiencing a downturn in work/carried out a reorganisation of its business and activities for essential economic reasons.

Not at present in a position to offer any alternative post.

You will receive payment for accrued untaken annual leave, a weeks payment in lieu of notice, £250 ex gratia payment as compensation for loss of your employment.

Offer of reference etc

I bloody knew it!

that sounds very dodgy, please get advice.
In the meantime, can you get another job? Now your baby is 6mo you migfht be in a position to atend interviews etc.
Plus, can they just end your maternity leave like that even if they do legally make you redundant (which doesn't sound as though it has happened in this case)