What is "Reasonable Contact" during maternity leave?

[runnyhabbit]

I work partime, and started my ML just over 3 weeks ago. A new lady was taken on permanently to cover the office when I'm not there, and is also covering my duties while I'm off.
The company has a total of 5 employees, and I report directly to the MD/owner (as does the new lady) She started 2 days before I left, seemed very competent, and I had already written up processes for each aspect of the job, which we went through. I told the MD what we'd covered, and left my mobile number and email address so that they could contact me if anything major should come up.
However, since I've been off, between the 2 of them I've had 8 phone calls. I would say that about 5 of them (from the new employee) about things that I would expect her to know with her background.
Sorry if this seems a bit jumbled, but should I have made it more clear about communication? Once the baby is here, I really do not want phone calls about to use Excel!

they're being unreasonable - but I 'm not sure how best to tell them that. could you email them - again - the written notes you did with a subtle hint along the lines of you hope these should answer any specific queries, esp now your dp/h has gone back to work and you're very busy at home etc

No one contacted me at all when I was on ML which was great, except that I wasn't even contacted about the major stuff that I'd asked to be kept up to speed on (like job evaluation and restructuring). I suppose the ideal would lie somewhere between our two extremes. I'd be a bit annoyed if I were you I think. Perhaps you should ring your MD and explain that you really don't want contact like this once your baby arrives?

Sounds like your replacement may not be as experienced as she said???

Maybe make it clear that communication except emergencies should be by email only then you can reply when you are ready and not be disturbed all the time.

Reasonable contact - IMHO - is still being allowed to slap your boss while on maternity leave - and nothing else

Good point Ange. I think I did that actually.

I thought they werent allow to contact you, same as on sick leave. You should contact them. I would email and say, while you understand they may have questions, you are on leave, and there please keep telephone calls to minimum. Maybe agree a day you will check emails, once a week, but once baby comes, say you dont want them to keep bothering you.
L

Thanks all

Ange - that thought had passed my mind, esp as I don't think my boss is aware of how often she's called, and the reasons.

After a few of the calls, I've realised that if she looked through the notes I've left, then she wouldn't have need to make contact.

Looks like I'm going to have to have a word with the boss.

Maybe it's just early day queries, and the contact will reduce.

From the other side of things, I run a company, and it really is hard to know what's right. Some people want different levels of contact - to be kept in touch with what's happening, others really couldn't give a monkeys, so long as their maternity pay hits their bank account!

Having had 5 maternity leaves over a 2 year period (out of a staff of 15), no two people have handled it in the same way.

Leaves me very confused .

Good luck with your new baby!

Can you go for the stealth option, i.e. letting your phone go to divert and not answering emails for a couple of days or so. If asked about the delay, which would be ultra cheeky, just sigh and say you are so busy getting everything ready for the new baby that you don't know where the time goes.

Once they figure out that you are hard to get hold of they will probably give up, particularly if the questions are daft ones that someone in the office should be able to answer.

Good luck for the new baby, its good practice letting your phone go to answering machine any way as that is precisely what you will be doing once it comes !

I think its good of you to leave your contact details however they are abusing your kindness and taking advantage. I did the same 6 years ago and when the temp left them in a difficult position I ended up going into work most weeks for a few hours and doing some work from home. My boss even asked me a few things when he came over to the birth centre to visit with the rest of the team! It was all far too much and I ended up with pnd. The bizarre thing though is that I actually wanted to help, it made me feel I was worth something and valued but it was all to my detriment.

I think after the first few weeks, contact should be minimal and only in an emergency. I would e-mail your boss to say something along the lines of "as you know I did a full documented handover with my replacement and went through all of my notes with you in detail. I have been happy to help out with the various queries in the past couple of weeks however I feel that xxx has probably settled in enough know to have a good understanding of the role and therefore I would appreciate contact only on an emergency/urgent basis'

chocolatekimmy - thats exactly what I'm like. I even remember saying on my last day that its not worth them stressing over something that will probably take me a minute to sort out over the phone - trouble is, now I'm the one stressing

Rookiemum - that sounds like the best option. Although will quite a test for me - letting my phone go to voicemail! Although tbh I remember finding it quite easy to do in the first few weeks with ds..

Thanks again everyone

runny - as your baby is due after the 1st april - you are now entitled to teh 10 days keeping in touch option. this might be a way around it. i have set some dates to go back intot the office on key planning / review days. as well as this - 2 of teh 10 days are ebign spread the 10 months i am off with an email being sent on a friday with any issues that arise through the week.

like you - i done manuals, notes, processes, protocols and notes for my replacement (who was actually my info officer and therefore shoudl have known the job!). in my first week off - the phone rang constantly , i had texts and emails. i started to copy my boss into replies to make sure he knew the aouont of contcat and at thee end of teh frist week - i sent a standard response that i woudl be avilable on a friday morign for support but not at any other time unless an emergency.

tough call as we all want to preserve / protect our jobs and the work but at the same time we are on leave. i would try and wean them off you in a way...
good luck

WO - thats a good idea about the KIT days. Think I'll do a bit of research and put a proposal to my boss. In the mean time I'm going to try and enjoy ML before this lo arrives

I'm worried about this too. I've finished today and have said I'm happy to get phone calls / emails between now and when the baby comes, after that I'll have to see. However, we're going through major changes at work, some of which I need to be kept informed of anyway, some of which I don't necessarily, but if I'm not I might miss opportunities. My boss is forgetful at the best of times, I think the chances of me finding out all this stuff without continually pestering him are tiny. I can't ask anyone else as it's confidential!