Left out/pushed out at work

[miasg1343]

I work for a small business. Boss and 4 employees.

I have worked there the longest and came back from maternity leave just 2 weeks ago.

My maternity cover is still there and has more hours than me. Which doesn't send a great message. I can understand them keeping her on and she's a lovely person. And it's the sort of role where my hours could increase in line with others. But at the moment I feel shoehorned back in and undervalued. Complete bottom of the rung minion. But I was hoping it was just a case of getting back into the swing of things.

Yesterday however the boss took them all out for cocktails. Except me. No mention, no invite. I found out via Instagram. She did say on insta that she won a happy hour for her and 3 friends. But I'm sure they sell drinks 😔

Now if it were a bigger office I could understand it, not getting invited swings and roundabouts. But when there are 4 of you and 3 are invited out I'm thinking I should take the hint 😔

And being a small set up I feel like anything I say will just make for an awful work environment.

Oh god they'll all be talking about it tomorrow too.

Maybe they booked it before you came back. It’s a bit heartless but could be Coincidence. Maybe the feeling of pushed out is exacerbated about returning to work after a baby?

tbh, as soon as I saw the title I wondered if this was someone returning from maternity leave! It's normal to feel different about work when you return, you've missed stuff while you've been away and it feels different. I'd give it a bit longer than 2 weeks for you to settle back into the role again.

You say, you work less hours, are you there on particular days? Maybe it got all planned when you where off?

Yeah it was probably sorted out before I got back. But it's not like they didn't know I was coming back, and it's drinks how much planning is required to add me in? Given the benefit of the doubt I don't suppose it was deliberate. So to have been forgotten isnt a great feeling. As I said I've worked there the longest, it used to be just the 2 of us. 😢

I'm sure I do need to give it longer, but they've made no effort to make me feel included, far from it my job has been given (probably quite illegally) to my maternity cover so yes I do feel pushed out even if it is unintentional.

Sorry to hear how you are feeling OP. I felt the same when I went back from May leave and it took me 6 months to feel part of the team again. Things had moved in and relationships formed while I was away and although it wasn't (always) intentional, I was forgotten or overlooked. I think you will need to give it a bit more time, hopefully like for me it will improve.