I was on maternity leave from March to September, then on the day I returned my employer informed me that he was closing the business and making myself and the other employee redundant. I had one month's notice and my colleague two (I.e. she worked a month longer than I did). The business was a small trade/hobby magazine, I was the editor and I also did the layouts and had done a redesign 18 months or so previously. I'm not a professional designer, I just happened to be better at it than the person who had the job when I started.
The business was in trouble, I know my employer had been putting his own money into it and he had laid off half his workforce in autumn 2012, so if that was the end of it I'd have been disappointed but it's just one of those things.
Me and boss had a private chat about it shortly after he told me, I guess this counts as consultation. He made a remark about me being at a different stage of my life now blah blah blah, which made me think he lives in a different world to me... Yes I'm at a different stage of my life, I have a child to support and need an income more than ever! My husband is self employed, we can't yet rely on his income. Baby was unplanned but I didn't feel it was right for me personally to have an abortion.
So anyway, my employer had been intending to shut the business down but when he announced this in the final issue a few other publishers turned out to be interested and in the last few weeks it has become clear that they are seriously interested and today my (ex)employer has announced that the magazine has been sold to a major publisher. Last week an ad appeared for a designer (about 1/4 of my job) giving my work a good slagging. Nothing has been said yet about an editor.
I wasn't told who the new publisher is, and it hasn't been announced publicly, but a person who did a proportion of my job while I was off has been told and he let it slip without realising I didn't know.
I had flexible working and worked from home most days long before I had the baby, this was because there was no reason not to and because my husband bought his business in another area of the country which is more central for the topic of the magazine so it made more sense for me to be there than in London.
My contract was very generic but there are emails agreeing the flexibility.
Sorry for the length of this!
I was wondering if anyone clued up about employment law knows if TUPE applies in this case? I phoned ACAS, they thought I should get legal advice so I'm looking for someone who will give me a free half hour. Should I see CAB too?
I have been running my own online publication for the last month, but if there's a chance I can get my job back with the same pay and conditions I have a responsibility to pursue that I think.
Again, sorry for the length. It would be lovely if anyone can help me unravel this a bit but it has really helped writing it all down!