Told I'm being made redundant after miscarriage

[Hannah1086]

Hi,

Does anyone have any advice please?

Briefly, I've been with my employer 21 months. I've had a miscarriage and now when I'm do to go back they're saying I'm at risk of redundancy. Below are the full details. I tried I cut it down as much as poss, so I have put this briefly at the top incase ppl don't have time to read the full info.

I went off sick 26th of feb. My miscarriage was a drawn out process of about 3 weeks, as I was first told it had a weak heartbeat, I was bleeding and had pain whenever I moved so I thought (stupidity) if I rested and bled less it may help. I was then told a week later there was no heartbeat, then it took me another week and half to miscarry as the pills they give to induce it didn't work. I then had a weeks holiday as planned previously. When I came back I still didn't feel emotionally ready so my doctor gave me a sick note for 2 and a half weeks. I told my boss I didn't want all this time and I wanted to start back the following week, 7th April, and if possible on a phase return. This would have made it 3 weeks sick and 1 week holiday.

I didn't receive a response from my boss and instead received a response from a hr company he hired to say a phase return would be discussed and I had to have the whole of my sick note off and also requested a medical report.

I went in to work after my sick note last week under the assumption I was discussing my return to work, to be told they have outsourced my work (only part of it) and I'm at risk of redundancy.

I know they're getting rid of me at my next meeting as otherwise he wouldn't go through the hassle and expense of hiring this hr company.

I know it's because I've had this time of because of my miscarriage as the work that's been outsourced, my boss told me a week before I went off sick, he was planning on taking this work away from me anyway so I can concentrate on other areas, that was always the plan since I very first started. The business is expanding so not short of work, and he has always told me in my last review and nights out what a good job I'm doing so is totally unexpected.

Since I've not been there 2 years do I have any rights.

Thanks in advance to anyone taking the time to read :)

Officially of course, your miscarriage (MC) has nothing to do with the possible redundancy (R) and I would guess that in the coming meeting, the people on the other side of the table will be at pains to make sure that they don't say or do anything which links R with MC.
On them making sure that you stayed off sick for the period of your sick note, don't read too much into that. Good practice means that any employer of repute wouldnt be happy about an employee coming back to work while a doctor has issued a sick note.

So, my recommendation is that you focus on asking them about what has changed from the original plan. Why are you possibly redundant when the company is busy? If outsourcing was always on the agenda, then that is not new. It was part of the plan.

A lot depends on how well they answer your questions on this.
I know it will be hard for you - but, if you could get by this meeting and never even mention the miscarriage, then it would be a positive point for you. Before your meeting, ask them if you can take another person into the meeting with you.

Good luck.