Asked to work

[Kellyann22]

Hi, wonder of someone could advise, I left work using my holiday entitlement 3 weeks ago, I have 5 weeks all together and then I start my maternity leave on the 30th March. The replacement I trained up has up and left them and now they have asked if I could come in and train the new replacement, I am due to give birth in two weeks and I am extremely uncomfortable, and I feel as though they are taking liberties a little I told them about my pregnancy back In September so they have had ample enough time to organise a replacement, I am employed as a finance manager. Does anyone else think they are a little unreasonable I know I am in holiday leave but I am also heavily pregnant.

But you are staying with friends in Scotland at the moment, you're on your holidays, sorry.

Or just, I'm afraid I can't . I'll let you know when there's any baby news

Yes they knew about it in September and had time to replace you. Which they did. That cover has now not worked out. So that is not really a valid argument.
Personally, I would work however I realise all people are different and if you feel that you can't, then don't. (Just don't use the they knew excuse!)

Hi thank you for your reply my replacement they organised started a week before I left, and they knew he was leaving they just did not tell anyone

Up to you. If it was me, I would offer to do a couple of days to help with a new person's induction as long as it didn't interfere with any plans I had already made but I get on well with my employer and would do it because of that. I don't think they are "taking liberties" - they asked, you can say no. The length of time they have known you are pregnant has nothing to do with the fact that your replacement has upped and left them. I'm sure that was not in the plan!

If they already knew he was leaving then they are taking the mickey.

However, personally I'd go in - having already laid out very clearly the terms under which I am doing so, e.g. going in for x number of days only, this number of days' annual leave to be tagged on to the end of your mat leave so you do not lose out. Under no circumstances will you do additional days. I would also suggest that they send a second person to be trained up, so they have cover if the same thing happens again.

But, if you don't want to do it, just refuse. I felt fine during pregnancy and would have coped ok with going into work after my mat leave started. Plenty of women wouldn't though.

If I could do it I would. But if you genuinely don't feel up to it then that's fair enough.

Would you get paid? Or paid extra for the inconvenience? That might swing it for me.

Firstly, do you feel fit and well enough to go into work? If not, then I wouldn't go in. I'd stay home and relax instead.

If you do feel capable of going into work - personally I'd only do this on the basis that they agree in advance how many days training is required , and then agree to carry that number of days of annual leave over until after your maternity leave finishes. I'd want that agreement in writing and confirmed with HR too.

They are not being unreasonable to ask. But you would not be unreasonable to say no if you don't feel up to it.

How much time are they asking you to spend?

They haven't set any times, they have just asked for me to come in and do what I can do. I am just uncomfortable at the moment I feel ok apart from that and I dont mind helping what has narked me off the most is they knew this person was leaving before I left, they never once mentioned this to me as I would have suggested I train an extra person as well, or put other strategies in place, they could have even organised my replacement to train the new person up but they haven't they have just let him work out his notice with no regards to training someone else and now expect me to pick this up when I had already put things into place when I left. I just feel a little bit put on to be honest. I suppose I am just feeling a little bit over emotional, me being a first time mom it's just getting on top of me I'm probably being silly.

Don't go back in.

Apologise, tell them you would gladly go back in to help them out but you are really struggling in the last few weeks and don't feel at all well. I wouldn't turn it into a row about what they did and didn't do. They won't be interested and won't see it from your point of view.

They'll manage. Have picked up contracts loads of times with no handover. It didn't kill me. If the new person struggles it's their look out.

Presumably you documented everything so the new person could work from that if needed, maybe with a phone call/ email support from you if needed. (I would be very clear that the email support would stop once the baby was born, though, and expect to accrue extra holiday time). Did you make the suggestion to train an additional person alongside the new starter?

Thanks everyone for your advice, I have agreed to go in for 4 hours tomorrow to train the new person alongside a few other employees as well so if the new person does decide to leave then they have someone else who can go through the work. I have specifically said that it will I ly be tomorrow as I have plans etc for the rest of my leave also a little bit of me time before little one arrives. These would just be the admin responsibilities that I carry out my manager has agreed to take on the extra work so I am a little hopeful that it will work this time around

Make sure you get the hours carried forward, or payment.