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RTW and got no job

1 reply

WifiNappies · 11/07/2012 13:36

I've just come back from mat leave. I've still got my old job title and level, but I have very little to do all day. My boss has 'found' me a task but I estimate it can be completed in a few weeks and then has only a little ongoing maintenance.

I've always had the sort of job which changes depending on the needs of the business, so while I was on mat leave as the business changed the tasks got given to others rather than me (obviously). I don't get the impression that the others are terribly busy either.

My boss is leaving in 2 weeks and I feel that when he is replaced the task I am doing will be no longer required, leaving me with nothing. I think this will leave me in a very vulnerable position.

I don't know how to protect myself from this. I am looking about for internal opportunities and I have spoken to my boss about wanting more work but he is demob happy. My company is constantly making redundancies so there isn't much about.

It seems unfair to me that I have less work as a result of being on mat leave and will be the one who is seen as 'surplus'. It also seems unfair that I am having to find work elsewhere when I actually enjoy doing what I do in the department I am in (when I'm busy). But legally they HAVE let me come back at the same level so I can't claim they haven't.

Does anyone have any advice?

OP posts:
Xiaoxiong · 11/07/2012 15:56

Wifi I'm in a rather similar position - returned to work from mat leave last Monday and not much work to do (yet...) People keep alluding to stuff coming up, putting me on the next project to come in etc, but until then I am sitting here MNing doing non-billable work, pro bono, reading journals in my area and doing business development and resenting the fact I left DS at home to sit here all day and miss my targets.

How do you usually get work? I'm trying be a lot more pro-active than I usually am - going round to the partners' offices, telling everyone I have capacity - and I'm about to stoop to the indignity of sending around an email begging for work. I'm trying to make it so that if I get pulled up on the fact that I don't have enough hours I can point to my efforts to get work and say hand on heart that I've done everything I can to get some more work. That makes it their fault instead of my fault, IYSWIM.

To distract myself I have started a blog on the subject of my professional area, so at least I'm sitting here writing about something relevant.

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