I am on a career break - and work are saying come back or resign

[BumptiousandBustly]

I am on a career break - civil service - I have had one year off, and now work are saying come back or resign.

I have two under 4 - childcare would cost more than I would earn and my eldest has possible additional needs. I REALLY want this job to go back to in a couple of years but simply can't right now.

Does anyone know - do I have any rights in this situation?

I agree with Ifeellloved too.

I'm sure the vast majority of Parents of pre-schoolers would love the option of being able to stay at home for 5 years then stroll back into their jobs, but that's not really how real life works, is it ?
Obviously you are feeling miffed, as you believed it was a possibility, but realistically, if you were managing the department, or you were the person having to work on a temporary contract without any hope of permeancy, maybe you'd see it a bit differently.
How is it you could afford childcare for FT, but not PT ? Surely you are paying out less, even though you are earning less ? (and, indeed, may be entitled to more help in terms of tax credits)

I think you need to check the T & C of your career break. A friend of mine was thinking of taking one to go back to college to do her master's for two years. The bumph stated that a) they had no obligation to take her back after two years and b) she had to let HR know when she wanted to come back, and start applying for suitable jobs at her grade. Once she started applying for jobs, she had six months to pick up a job. If she didn't manage to pick up a job in this time, that was it, employment terminated, thank you and goodbye.

Another friend couldn't get a job after his career break - there was absolutely nothing available at his grade, and his government department suggested he take a job at a (much) lower grade or resign. He ended up taking a job at a lower grade, just to get back to work.

OK, thankyou for all the responses. Just to be clear - I didnt' think i was entitled to anything, I just wondered if I did have any rights in this situation - which it would appear that I don't.

I did think - as has previously been the case, that you could automatically extend your career break for up to five years.

The situation in the now changed, and they are not giving anyone career breaks and are refusing extensions.

I would also say that I was not expecting a specific job to be held open for me, but also thought that I would have to apply internally for jobs, and would only start getting paid again if and when I found a job internally.

Ironically it now appears that as I am on my specific departments headcount they want to get rid of me so they can employ someone else in my place (or have me return).

I agree that working full-time wouldn't make anymore sense (I had it in my head for some reason that if I worked full time I could afford a nanny, but not part time - no idea why).

I know I am not entitled to have a job held open for me for 5 years, but I was lead to believe that they would, so I am , of course, disappointed that they won't. I can't afford to go back, just to keep the job for the future, we would be paying far more than I earn and we simply couldn't do that.

I am scared about the future now, a few years down the line, when the kids are at school, and I could cover the extra childcare as I feel that having had that many years out of the workforce, I will be virtually unemployable. HOWEVER, it is what it is, so we will just have to deal with it.

Perhaps you could check whether your department has some kind of voluntary redundancy scheme in place? A few departments have done this as opposed to enforced redundancies, and a decent package might give you another year or so to make future decisions.

Bumptious I don't think you've been unreasonable or entitled. When you worked in the department you were agreed a career break, the policy said for up to 5 years and now they're asking you to come back.

I suppose things change but in your situation (and I almost was) I'd be worried too. I hope you find a solution to your situation? Nanny? Family? Friends? Some working from home to avoid the commute & minimise your time away?

Good luck, does this mean you go back to the job you had before rather than a general post at your grade?

Far too many ?. Sorry.

I've heard of this - it's quite standard in the civil service, and an excellent opportunity for parents. You may not go back to the same job but you're guaranteed one of the same rank, is that correct?

I'm sure you must have rights, so go to your union. Good luck!

I have friends in the civil service and they are very godo at flexitime and you can often condense your hours, eg do 5 days' work in 4 days. It may not be ideal but they seem a superior employer than most.

I used to be a HR manager in a very large government department.

The policy used to be (it may have changed now) that anyone could ask for a career break of up to 5 years, but once the civil service started shedding posts it became unusual to grant a career break of more than a year. People could ask for an extension year-by-year, but what lay behind every decision was an assessment of whether there would be a job for them to come back to at the end of their career break. If the organisation is shrinking, it's far more difficult to be sure of that. There was never a guarantee that people would come back to the same job, usually it was a job at the same level.

Anyway, check whatever paperwork you received about the career break and speak to your union, but if your department is saying that it can't agree to another extension then your choice is indeed to go back to work or resign.

It seems odd that you're still on your department's headcount if you aren't guaranteed a post in that department when you return ... have they got mat leave and career break mixed up somewhere?

Kelziz - a voluntary redundancy package is not usually available to those on a career break or on special unpaid leave.

"Do you think it's reasonable for employers to leave jobs open for years just because you had children."

Actually, I think it's a shame that this doesn't happen more often.

Career breaks aren't just for early years of parenthood either - we have someone at work on a break from us working on the Olympics, for example. Although admittedly he will struggle to prolong that for five years :)

Thankyou very much to all those who got that this wasn't a sense of entitlement - but something I hoped to have and was sorry to loose. I have tried to contact HR to ask about staying on the "wider books" as it were - i.e. no guarantee of a job when I come back, but at least able to apply internally - but have been told that you have to go through line management - who are the ones saying NO!

However after my formal email asking for all the details in writing, they have now come back and said they are "checking with HR to makes sure they are applying the policy across the board!" So that is something.

I have spoken to my union, and we may try and appeal but I have basically been told by the senior manager who refused my career break that "you are welcome to appeal to my manager, but they have already been consulted on this!" - which means they have already agreed - so why would they change their minds.

Kelziz - no redundancy unfortunately - as they do WANT me back.

KellyKettle - no family, no possibility of working at home - couldn't do the job with the kids around anyway - just no way we can afford for me to do thsi at the moment.

xmasbaby11 - unfortunately no rights - its at their discretion apparently - and they choose not to. (have spoken to union)