Maternity cover and interfering

[JazzyBBG]

I have been doing a maternity cover role for some time now in my regular organisation. Recently the person I am covering for has started to make her presence known. Having return to work meetings with senior managers then sending me a load of work to do. She is not to be back at work for some time. I feel so undermined that this is happening. What can I do? My current reporting line is also unclear so that doesn't help. Can people "issue instructions" whilst on mat leave??

Well she isn’t your senior so not able to give you work and really if on maternity should have her hands full!

Maybe she is anxious about returning and heard you are doing a good job?

I think the managers need to reassure her you are just covering and she is going to be able to return. They should not be encouraging her to do any work while off!

You need to remember you are only keeping the position warm for her and it is technically her job so need to be thoughtful of that. If you end up staying in a different role you don’t want to have issues working with her.

Maternity leave can be an unsettling time especially for career minded people but it’s down to your managers to manage not you!

The meetings could be KIT days, and if they are discussing her role or future projects it makessense that you would be assigned some of the work. I would however expect direction to come from your LM rather than her directly.

She probably just needs some reassurance the job will be there for her when she returns.

She knows the job is hers and I don't want it I have made that abundantly clear. She is senior to me although I am acting up. I feel it is a power thing reminding me she knows more about higher up issues than me but surely it can't be right to have a load of work dropped on you that no one else has dis issues with you when trying to manage a team?

Ridiculous! She is on mat leave and your covering her role. I can only think it’s to make her presence known and since you don’t want the job anyway, I’d do what you can and leave her to do the majority. Some women, honestly!

I assume normally her LM is the one that’s now yours.

The LM needs to sort it- either they are happy with you doing the work of which you then need to ask what priority you are expected to give it, with your current duties or they don’t want you doing it, which they then need to explain to the lady on maternity leave.

This should not be your concern at all, you are just covering a role. I doubt it’s personal and exerting anything over you, she is probably just trying to keep up to date and not wanting to feel behind when comes back!

I think you need to talk to the line manager and constructively ask what do they expect from you?

The mine manager would be one of the people she has met with and work subsequently followed! Despite them knowing we already have various challenges. Just feel screwed over really.

*line manager

Feel like I work down the bloody mines.

But you don’t know for certain that came from the meeting unless you speak to line manager and ask you could be getting worked up over nothing.

If it is expected you are able to ask what priority to give the work in regards to other duties and make it clear you may not get all completed.

It’s good time management and not a bad thing to ask the boss what they would like you too concentrate on if given a different task to normal.