Phased return and other issues regarding

[Ijustworemytrenchcoat]

My son will be one in August so I have to take my head out of the sand and start making a plan for going back to work. Ideally I want to go back part time as I need an income but don't feel full time is an option right away.

I wondered if you are automatically allowed to do a phased return using annual leave accrued during your time off? My manager can be very difficult and has form for trying to scare people (tried to convince me I may not be eligible for ML when I knew I was). I would like to know before I book a meeting with him if it is accepted practise as I'd rather have a comeback ready if he tries to make me look like a fool.

Also, before I left on ML there was a department merge and there will be job losses (I am going to be affected by this as I was in a group who were shifted onto rolling temporary contracts). I'd really like to try to know what is going on in terms of redundancy/redeployment before I put in a request for part time. Has anybody been in a similar position? I really don't want to go back full time but don't want to risk going part time and losing out on a decent redundancy package if they let me go.

www.nidirect.gov.uk/sm/statutory-maternity-leave-returning-to-work

This site has loads of really helpful information. Am not sure if it has the answer to your question but I'm sure it will have some info if you have a look around.

You are entitled to do 10 "keeping in touch" days without losing your maternity pay, I was told there was no such thing when actually it is a government thing but my boss is a as well unfortunately!

You're not automatically allowed a phased return no, but you can book annual leave. Whether they'll let you take annual leave in that sort of pattern though is a different issue. You have no legal right to take annual leave when you want to take it. Your employer can specify when it is to be taken.

Lauren is right though in that you can have keeping in touch days and so in theory you could delay your return for a few weeks and use keeping in touch days to do a phased return. Again though you can't insist on when you take them, with KIT days its something to be agreed between the parties.

I'm not sure about KIT days, they tend just to apply to the more senior roles in my department I think. I don't know much about them and had thought they were more about keeping up training etc I will have a google about it. I have avoided getting in touch up to now.

I'm really not looking forward to having to communicate with my manager again, I just know he will say it is not possible, I can't have the leave I want, make me feel bad for requesting it etc. etc. the thing is everybody in my department coming back from maternity leave has done what I want to do, but he will make it difficult for me. Loads of work has been moved since I left and I know it is very quiet so I am wondering what excuses he will use. I may request Parental Leave if need be.

Any idea how long the redundancies will take to shake out? I'd be tempted to go back ft but use leave to have every other Friday off as I wouldn't want to take the risk and I found ft nursery affected dd much less before she was 2 than after. But it's very tricky, hope it works out for you.

I don't know, was hoping it would have all started by now! I think they're relying on people, jumping ship because of the uncertainty and the frankly horrible stressful working conditions.

Extra people have been took on to do the work on another site but they are still paying all of us. Typical NHS 'moneysaving'.

Be aware that parental leave has to be booked in periods of no less than a week so won't help in your circumstances - unless having some complete weeks off would be better than not being granted one day's leave a week (or whatever way you wanted to take the leave).

Thank you, if I don't get granted the leave I want I would consider trying to get a few weeks parental leave to delay my start date and buy some more time.

I have all of my annual leave to take from my year off but my manager has a history of being difficult with me (there have been issues regarding my contract in the past that were resolved in my favour following an appeal). Other staff returning from ML have been allowed to block book annual leave to delay their start back date so I am interested in what his response to me will be.

I never thought I would struggle with going back this much, I feel panicky and anxious about leaving my son for that long. I don't think I can jump right back to Full Time.