My responsibilities changing whilst pregnant at work - worried can you help?

[Crystal049]

I'm 20 weeks pregnant and due to leave work on 24th July (on holiday for 3 weeks) before official maternity leave starts on 17th August.

I'm currently a Marketing Operations Manager at a company I've been working at for 2.5 years. We are hiring a new Campaign Manager (permanent) who will be taking on my role and all of my direct reports will be moving to her when she starts at the end of April. I have had nothing official in writing saying that my direct reports are moving to this role.

My director has said he wants me to do a higher level Operations role similar to a 'Head of Operations' reporting directly to him rather than the Head of Marketing (currently my boss) With no direct reports. I am more than happy to do this higher level operations role, but I'm worried that they are stripping my current responsibilities and giving it to this new Campaign Manager and then when I go on mat leave they turn around and say we don't need this higher level ops role anymore.

I guess I'd like to know a) could they effectively do this, strip my current role and give to someone else and then not have a role for me? b) nothing is in writing, should they be putting it in writing? c) should I get a payrise and better benefits suitable to this role even though I go in mat leave in 3 months? d) he still wasn't sure about my new job title but if I keep my same job title does this make any difference to anything?

Thanks for your help.

If they give your current role to someone else but then don't have a role for you, you would potentially have a case for unfair dismissal. The timing makes this even more sensitive as you could claim you are being discriminated against due to your pregnancy.

In my experience employers often fail to tidy up the paperwork for moves like this. If you are concerned you should insist on getting something in writing.

They cannot refuse to increase your pay or give you improved benefits simply because of your impending maternity leave. That would be discrimination. They could, however, say that you need training before any increase is awarded.

Your rights are unaffected by whether or not you keep your current job title.