Gargh....need advice on rubbish employers

[koshka1984]

Hey,

I am 21 and have a two month old baby and I have to think about going back to work. I used to work night shift 20.00-08.00 sat and sunday and i had arranged my mum to babysit for these nights.

I had a meeting with my work today, and they said bacause the overnight have limited staff on, they have reassigned my shifts to someone else, so i have to request new hours completely.

My problem is my DP (as always), he works in a nightclub in management, he works 12.00-16.00 amd then 19.00-03.00 sometimes later. There is no pattern to when he works/doesnt work so cannot rely on him for looking after LO.

I only get paid £6 an hour and childminders are £3+ and my DP gets £5.30 an hour but he does not contribute to the baby, just gives his half of rent.

I just need help really! I have no ideas how i am supposed to make up enough hours to be able to afford everything, especially as at the moment i live at my mums so do not have to worry about bills and she said i can give her rent as and when i can afford it (i pay for my own food, etc).

Should i leave this job and find another? Or just work full time (40hours) and put the baby into someone elses care? I really dont want to do this i love my baby and caring for him than my job ( i hate the way they treat me)

Any advice gratefully received. x

I don't have much in the way of helpful advice to offer but wanted to respond as you are doing so well to have to think about going back to work when your baby is so young & your DP isn't helping out at all ( would do cross emoticon if I knew how to)
I am sure you will get some good legal advice from people out there, fingers crossed for you.

Ok this is from one of my colleagues (TU official)

"Hi Carl, The first thing is to check the contract of employment and find out what it says in relation to the right to return.

The legal position is that a woman is entitled to return to the job she was employed before her absence on no less favourable terms and conditions.

If you want to borrow my law book let me know."

I think they may say that you are doing the same job just different hours.....
Do you feel up to arguing your POV with them? You really need someone with some "clout" to put your case are you in a TU if not the CAB may be able to help.

there are so many things wrong with what you are having to deal with koshka. I'm sorry you're having to worry about all this when your baby is only 2 months old. and

I assume you're getting all the benefits that you are entitled to? Maybe check with the Citizen's Advice Bureau whether there is anything else you might be able to get?

I would start looking for another job with those hours pronto, and TBH I would tell your work you are doing this and that those are the hours that you can work IYSWIM. You never know, they might decide to try and keep you.

And sorry, but why are you and your DP not pooling resources?

I feel that with your baby at 2 months old, you should be concentrating on getting your dp to contribute, so that work is not a worry at the moment.

Thanks guys. Am going to dig out my contract now. Just wish i could concentrate on my baby and not this. Cant sleep for worring so im like a zombie.
Im quite a quiet person so they just assume they can tell me what they want.

My mum and a lot of my friends have all just been made redundant so its like ive lost my allies!

Sounds awful - all from the same place?

Don't suppose your mum fancies training as a childminder and giving you mate's rates?

Need to understand a bit more about why they reassigned your hours to someone else and when they did this. Legally you are entitled to go back to your old job so if you are contracted to those hours then it seems odd to me that they would say request other hours. Was the other person brought in to cover your hours originally or have they been given to someone who was there originally? Either way if you are thinking about going back at 2 months then they would struggle to argue that they cannot keep the job open - where I work we have been told they have to give us the option of going back to our old jobs and we get a year off! Definietly get out your contract!