I don't know how to handle this, please help

[SecretLimonadeDrinker]

Hi,

My head is all over the place and I'm not really sure what to do.

Background.

Two years ago my job role was split into two as I had been taking on lots of extra responsibilities which were not realistic to complete in my normal week. I was promoted up a grade during this time due to all the extra responsibilities and person X was recruited to do the other part of my role at the grade I had been on before I was promoted.

I then was asked to take on more responsibilities six months into my new role (18 months ago) around the time I went on mat leave it was decided that my job would be split into two roles again and also some responsibilities would go to someone in a different team. It takes a long time in my office for anything to happen so my mat leave cover was recruited to doi my job as it was. They are now splitting the role and my mat cover will stay on to do one role and I will do the other.

I'm not due back for another three months and want to go back partime (70% of my normal hours) I have just received my new job spec and I have been given some of person X's responsibilities and she has now been promoted to my current grade.

To me it feels like I will be doing a more junior role as I would in effect be doing some of my responibilies of my job from two years ago and I know that these is just the work she doesn't like. Don't blame her as I didn't like it when I was doing it either and therefore don't want to be doing it again.

Thank you if you got this far. I'm not sure how to go about requesting reduced hours and also saying that I don't want to do X's responsibilities. If I wasn't doing them I could easily do my job in my proposed reduction in hours.

Are you going back within 6 months / 9 or 12? That makes a big difference on what position you'll get once you return.
If for example you take 12 months then as long as they give you a job you have no say but if its quite soon after then you have more argument.
Have you got a HR or personel department you can write to with your queries on company maternity issues?

Hi TreeHuggerMum1, thanks for replying.

I'm going back after 9 months. We do have a HR Manager and she has told me off record that she doesn't see why they would turn down flexible working. I think I'm still smarting because before went on mat leave there was lots of talk of promotion, pos with me managing employee X and now she has been promoted to the same grade and I'll me doing the junior tasks of her role. I also don't understand why she can't do them herself as I use to do all she is doing and a lot more when I was doing her role. To clarify the promotion is a change of job title and a pay rise but with the same responsibilities.

I'm sorry, I sound terribly bitter, I also found out my previous two managers took a lot of credit for my work and downplayed some of my accomplishments. I really need to learn how to self promote, I naively thought that if you work hard and do a good job you would be recognised for it.