Should job title always have 'maternity cover' in it?

[Shortninbread]

Does anyone know the best practice or have any of their own views on whether my job cover should or should not retain the words 'Maternity cover' in her title while I'm on leave?

They are about to go to print with hundreds of thousands of print where she does not state that she is maternity cover. Perhaps I'm being pernickety and feeling a bit out of the loop generally, but it doesn't help that much of the programme her name is against was developed by me before I went on leave. I'm also concerned that our sponsor relationships will be confused about my tenure.

Any advice much appreciated.

[Bramshott]

As I imagine it (from the field I work in) - there's a programme of work, like an annual arts festival. OP is a key part of the programming and put a lot of the events together (because there's such a long lead-time on these sorts of things). The "festival" brochure has been or is about to be published, which makes no specific reference to the OP, but lists the events she was instrumental in programming, and her maternity cover as X Director (or similar). This brochure is going not just to artists in the field, who may well know that OP is on maternity leave, but also to thousands of members of the public, some of whom may know OP slightly, and may assume that she's left.

[Viviennemary]

Are you feeling insecure about your position when you return to work. I've never seen 'maternity cover' on anything but acting such and such is seen sometimes but only for quite important jobs. So if yours is then fair enough. But wouldn't this be up to the company and not you to decide.

[Floggingmolly]

Why are they getting credit if the majority of the work was done by you? Are you accredited any where or does it read like it's all her own work?
I'd be majorly pissed off if that was the case.

[gindrinker]

Who is the person doing your maternity cover?
Do they normally work with you and are being 'uplifted' into your position?
Or are they totally new and brought in solely for maternity cover.

I'm maternity cover at the moment and I'd be pissed off if I had it in my job title (I had acting in my signature and was told to take it off because I'm doing the job.) I've been given a year secondment to the role and have a job to go back to.

[flowery]

The important people know you are on maternity leave. Even if for some reason they assume you are not coming back, as soon as you are back they will realise they were wrong and problem over.

It really sounds as though you are overthinking it and remaining too involved in your role, which is common and understandable but unnecessary, stress-inducing and often difficult for the person doing the job during your leave.

[WipsGlitter]

How much longer are you on mat leave for? I think in the long run it won't really matter - you'll come back into post and a quick 'you're back?!' 'Yes I was on mat leave'. Will allay any questions immediately. How much confusion was there the last time? Surely your were able to manage it. I speak as someone who had a mat leave and who has been a cover twice now.

From the other side (ie being a mat cover) you are doing your best, trying to build your experience, make friends in a new job and its very disconcerting to have the person you are covering for breathing down your neck!

[Restorer]

TBF, if you were doing a job on a year's contract would you want everyone treating you as temporary? In my line of work, you couldn't do the job properly unless the clients had the expectation that you were going to be around for a while.

[Shortninbread]

I've told them, but a year is a long time and as I say my cover makes no ref to her being maternity cover in her correspondence so people start to assume I've hung up my hat. At least that's what happened last mat leave I had.

I'm going to put this back on my boss and ask what our policy is, perhaps mentioning confusion returning to work last time.

[Billwoody]

Agree with sunny - I am currently doing a job on an Interim title. It is mat cover

[musu]

reason not readon

[musu]

Why don't your clients know that you are on maternity leave? I would be more concerned with that (assuming for some readon you haven't been allowed to tell them) than job title for your cover.

[Shortninbread]

Thanks unebagpipe Bramshott, think I might adopt Shortninbread as a professional title

[unebagpipe]

I don't think yabu. I get why you're pissed off. your worried about your clients thinking you've left, and annoyed about others getting all your glory. Just because you've gone and had a baby, others shouldn't be able to use what you've done to their own credit. Suggest that interim/acting etc. be inserted- and explain to them why (if you can)... Seems reasonable enough to me.

[Bramshott]

I think it's nice when it does, but not essential. I'm guessing you work in the arts or a similar area and I agree, if I'd developed a programme and then wasn't included in the brochure I'd feel a bit 'miffed'. But equally, to list someone as X Director (maternity cover) looks a bit odd. I think in a staff list it's fair enough though, and I've certainly seen that in (for eg.) concert programmes (even nicer if it's "maternity cover for shortninbread")

[Sunnywithshowers]

I've worked in contract roles (non maternity) before and had 'Interim' added to my job title. Suppliers and contacts would often ask me about it.

[WipsGlitter]

Yes. It's an auto signature. I don't think I'm insecure but I just fine see why people need to know

[Shortninbread]

I am seven months into my leave.

My cover doesn't have it in her email signature. Do you have to include it in your signature WipsGlitter? Putting shoe on the other foot, is it also insecure that that pisses you off?

[WipsGlitter]

I'm a mat cover and it really pisses me off that it states that in my email signature. You sound v insecure. You need to accept you're going off, five months into you're leave you won't give a flying fuck either way!

[Shortninbread]

I do know what you mean Freddie. i could sort any confusion with clients with an email, but then there are 100s 1000s of print going out that define my maternity cover as in effect my position, distributed across networks that are important to my future career prospects.

Perhaps Mrs Millions' magazines example includes 'Acting' for a similar reason that readership can have a big impact on career direction.

Is this my ego getting the better here, or is this kind of reasonable? I'm really not sure.

[FreddieMisaGREATshag]

Can't you send round a wee email before you go to the people that it's important to you that know that isn't the case.

That doesn't make sense. Do you know what I'm trying to say?

[Shortninbread]

Not sidelined, but that clients, networks would understand me to have been replaced/finished with the company and to have had no input into the direction of this year's programme.

[Shortninbread]

Good point Mrs Millions. I do actually think it is better comms for when I return to work.

[FreddieMisaGREATshag]

Acting or locum would be more usual.

Do you think you're going to be sidelined?

[MrsMillions]

If you look in the front of many magazines (especially women's mags), where they list all the editors, features assistants, designers etc, you often see a number of them credited as "Acting" whatever it is. I've always assumed this is people doing maternity cover. Maybe this could be suitable terminology in your case too.

[EcoRI]

It depends on company policy, I suppose. One of the last places I worked in always used 'locum' on maternity cover job titles.