Don't know where I stand.....

[Beemer30]

I am meant to be returning to working following 12 months maternity leave and am just using some annual leave to take me to the 5th Jan. Last Thursday it became apparent that our useless HR person had been "sacked". I spoke with an interim HR person who does not know me and has been drafted in quick. She claimed to have only started the role that day and was trying to be all vague. About a month ago I had emailed the now sacked HR manager and asked if when I returned I could move departments into a role that a person had voluntary left a couple of months ago. After being all vague with me the interim HR person said that that was not possible. I have a feeling that redundancy is looming. I did ask the HR person during our conversation last week whether this was going to happen. She said she had no idea of the position with regards to my role and that she would be back in touch with me before Christmas. I haven't heard a thing and I don't know what to do now as the 5th Jan is looming. I think they want me to get pissed off and resign. What should I do?!

Well definitely not resign! You have the email record of your request, if not the verbal from the HR person who left that they would be back in touch by now. Legally I think if you take 12 months they don't have to put you back in your exact old role but do have to find you suitable alternative employment if that's no longer possible don't they? And sounds as though your request might have been possible, if no-one else had already been slotted in/applied for it. If it was filled/position now redundant perhaps it's not an option but it sounds crap that HR and/or management haven't been in touch with you the last few months. Sorry this isn't very concrete but sounds as though you're on the ball anyway; if you're in a union might be worth checking with them for any legal advice? Otherwise/also I suppose best get on the phone to HR and your old team on Monday so you're driving things and if possible got an advocate inside the company who might help chase peopleinternally on your behalf? Good luck!

Thanks for replying. Not in a union unfortunately. It's not an overly big company I work for and they have form for being utter bastards. Although it wouldn't be overly wonderful financially I'm partly hoping that they do make me redundant just to get me out of there. A lot of my work friends have left over the past year and I do have any allies any more (another reason I don't really want to return).