Please help :(

[happyhopefulmummy]

I went on maternity leave 28th may 2011. I took a year. 3.5 weeks ago I had a meeting with my employer (which I instigated, and found out before hand that my manager was moaning to the girl who booked the meeting that se didn't know why we were having one and she didn't know what to say to me). We discusse various things about my return to work. She said she would send me an email with various options 10 days later. I have jaded twice via email. She said on Friday that she would send me some options on Monday. I still have not heard anythig. I don't know what to do. I'm due back 28 may but I feel like I'm having to hassle them and beg them. I'm fed up and annoyed. They have a terrible record of employee satisfaction and don't know how to treat their staff well (no sick pay, docked my wages when I was in hospital having a D&D after first miscarriage).

Does anyone know what I should do? Thanks.

Sorry for all the typos! Silly phone!

From direct.gov, When returning to work after Ordinary Maternity Leave (the first 26 weeks of your Statutory Maternity Leave), you have a right to the same job and the same terms and conditions as if you hadn?t been away. ... However, if your employer shows it is not reasonably practical to return to your original job (eg because the job no longer exists) you do not have the same right. In that case, you must be offered alternative work with terms and conditions as if you hadn?t been away.

It sounds like you are trying to negotiate a change in your terms and conditions. Is that correct, or are the options you describe to do with which particular shift you might work (if that's not mentioned in your contract) or similar?

It does sound like they are not very well organised! Is there anyone with an HR role in the organisation who you can talk to, for example someone dealing with the financial aspect of your leave?

Thanks for your reply. I used to do a job which involved a lot of worldwide travelling and they have been clear that thu are now over resourced in my old dept, which is fine - i dont want to travel to that extent now anyway. They threw around some other jobs halfheartedly, but nothing was actually confirmed. I have no idea what they want me tO do and if they are just trying to push me out. I don't want to keep chasing, I dont feel as though I should have to.

You say that they threw around some jobs halfheartedly. You need to chuck the perceived emotion out of this situation. It never stacks up in a grievance / tribunal and you end up looking daft. You have to imagine yourself producing evidence that something was "half-hearted" with the other side simply saying "I deny".

Anyway, did you accept one the positions? And did you put that in writing via Special Delivery? Emails sometimes go astray.

Put it in writing firmly what it is that you wish to do and hopefully that will be in line with something they have offered and give them a reasonable, say 4 week, timeframe in which to reply. If nothing was offered in line with your rights, tell them so and again give them a reasonable time to reply but tell them what that is. End of story.

Whether or not you feel as though you have to hassle them? If you don't want to go back to work, resign. If you do, you may have to be proactive about it.