Hello, hoping someone has some advice.
Clutching at straws here but I can hope.
I am currently on maternity leave from a job I absolutely loved. I’ve kept in touch with my colleagues and it has come to light that the shift patterns have changed. My contracted late shift was 1pm-9pm however this has now changed to 4pm-1am. This shift just wouldn’t work for me, by the time I got home and to bed it would be gone 2am, then with my husband getting up at 5:30am for work and having a baby to look after I’d be tired and that’s without mentioning the headache that childcare would cause.
I’m sad that I feel I have no option but to find another job now. I don’t think l have been discriminated against in terms of my maternity leave because the shifts have had to change for everyone (small team) due to covid.
Have just pulled this from the maternity policy - ‘We will assume that you are returning at the end of your leave, to the same role and work pattern as before your leave.’
Does this give me any standing given the work pattern no longer exists? And they have not been able to offer me an alternative (asked for permanent days and they said not possible). Gah I really don’t want to have to pay it back because it’s not my fault they’ve made it virtually impossible for me to return but it is in the policy that it must be paid back if I don’t return for 6 months after leave. I’d have to pay back in instalments as I don’t have money lying around and just feel so deflated and upset by it all, I had such a lovely stable job and it was perfect timing to have a baby and it just feels like a kick in the teeth.
Sorry if that’s a bit of a ramble!