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Original poster

ACADEMICS or anyone, help - I come back from mat leave and find they have taken away my favourite teaching!

55 replies

Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 14:21

I started back at work a month ago (study leave until 14 Jan) after a year's mat leave and was informed that (out of kindness and consideration for me) I would not be doing my usual teaching this term - the members of staff who covered it during my absence would be doing it again (although it is not until March).

Was a bit surprised by this (as it is not normal procedure to let people off teaching subsequent to their study leave, and besides, when I was new to the job in 2002 I had to teach 3 modules in my first term, so I don't know why they've started being all kind and considerate now). I was also really disappointed as it was the highlight of my job (a week's intensive teaching on an area I am interested in with a small group of motivated students).

I today spoke to one of the members of staff who covered for me and was informed that she had insisted on doing it twice because she didn't want to do all that preparation just to do it once. And that in future she will be sharing the teaching with me because it was such a success when she did it.

It also appears that she has slagged off my teaching to the HoD utterly without basis as I always got fabulous student feedback for it.

I don't think I have a leg to stand on legally wrt to the thing about your right to go back to the same job as you left - looking at the university's maternity policy this is what it says:

"She will return to the job (which does not preclude changes to the duties and responsibilities in the intervening period) in which she was employed under the original contract of employment and on terms applicable to her if she had not been absent. "

AIBU to feel totally furious, upset, disappointed, shat upon, etc etc?

What would you do?

OP posts:
titchy · 06/12/2007 14:30

Nothing legally - you're employed to teach within your area of expertise, not specific modules. Every right to feel pissed off though! Take it up with your HoD.

fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 14:36

I had this when I went on mat leave. All best classes removed, and I was given a right shower to teach.

I had union in and everything, but no dice at all. Timetable did return to normal this September. BUT, I still feel very bitter and twisted about it now, and it has severely affected my relationships with people in my dept. Am now looking for another job, after being there for well over 10 years.

I think, legally they can do what they like , although that doesn't help.

You have all my symp. Have to go now, as am starting to get just thinking about it

fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 14:39

Your colleague sounds delightful, and using same excuses which I have heard elsewhere.

Look for something else. It appears that despite extensive govenment legislation, people can still do what they want about maternity leave.

You are being completely and totally reasonable. They are ***

Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 14:43

You're just so vulnerable when you're not there, aren't you?

I am that she made her covering for me conditional on being allowed to hang onto it. Did it not occur to her that I might have objections to this? Or is she being disingenuous in telling me?
She was saying how much she enjoyed the teaching - er, yes love, so do I.

(BTW, I already have plenty of shite stuff to teach. This was my good bit.)

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Tamum · 06/12/2007 14:52

I can completely understand why you're upset. I hate to say it, though, but I would feel very irked at having to do maternity leave cover just as a one-off if it meant preparing lots of stuff. I wouldn't if it was a case of leading discussions, but if I had to write lectures or anything I would want to get more out of it. I may be completely wrong about this though- it just takes me ages and ages to write new lectures from scratch, easily a week for some, and it would be wildly inefficient to do this for a one-off. Having said all that, though, I would sort something out with the person I was covering for so that we both got something out of it, and I don't think you are being remotely unreasonable to feel pissed off.

Can you find out what student feedback she got and take hers and yours to the HoD and see if that helps?

fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 14:55

Is the nice bit mentioned anywhere in your contract? This may mean something if it is.

Are you in a union? I would speak to your HoD (are they supportive?) and say how you feel. I bet that cow was waiting to snitch that bit when you went. I think this needs pointing out to your HoD, and the fact that you were doing a fabulous job without her help.

Would a grievance proceedure help?

fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 14:57

If you have to share it , couldn't you at least have the majority, or be the lead person.?

Grrrrrr

fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 15:00

Also, why didn't they hire someone to cover your mat leave rather than "giving" it to smeone else?

Tamum · 06/12/2007 15:02

Yes, that would have made more sense fizzbuzz- we also often just drop teaching if the person is away and let someone cover with their own specialist area. That only works at higher levels, I know, but it sounds as though Kathy's was.

Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 15:28

Yes, I was concerned about them covering me this way but I didn't realise it was going to have these consequences.
They used my maternity leave money to prolong various temporary posts in the department, one of which included a postdoc covering the other part of my teaching. I was not 100% happy about this because it means that you come back from mat leave feeling like you owe someone a favour for doing your job (which, considering the last 6 months of my leave was unpaid, shouldn't really be the case).
I think this is wrong but I imagine it is standard practice in academia.

Fizzbuzz - I think I do need to talk to my new HoD (who is Mr Equal Opportunities so he should really have realised this was dodgy) but I am struggling with the best way to approach it. I suspect I need to curb my inclination to snort smoke from my nostrils and throb like the Incredible Hulk.

OP posts:
Tamum · 06/12/2007 15:30

Is he the same one who wanted you to come in to have a meeting while you were on mat leave? Was that ever resolved? It all sounds a bit grim really.

Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 15:32

Tamum - yes indeed, writing new lectures is a huge job and it is not reasonable to expect a colleague to do it in addition to their normal job for no payback. Which is why they should have found some keen postdoc or associate tutor from one of our distance learning courses (I can think of several who would have done it and benefited from doing so).
I do think she has exploited the situation though.

I don't think I'd be allowed to see her feedback, plus it is probably fine - I don't think they'd have given her the teaching to do again if it had been a disaster.

OP posts:
Tamum · 06/12/2007 15:35

No, that's a fair point- they should have found someone who would have just been grateful to have it on their CV, shouldn't they. Damn about access to the feedback Ours gets posted for all to see.

Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 15:35

Yes he is. In the end I told him I couldn't afford the childcare so either the dept would have to cover it or I would have to come in once I was back at work, so we agreed the latter. I think he honestly didn't realise how much it would cost and was just being a bit over-keen to get me back into the dept again.

He is not grim, he's nice, honestly, but I think he has been manipulated in this case. Most of the department are nice and not devious. OTOH it may have been the previous HoD who agreed this anyway.

I don't know, I assume any academic department will have a few Machiavellians.

OP posts:
Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 15:36

Oh God, how can I work with her? She is such a bitch.

OP posts:
Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 15:37

must learn to work with bitches though, mustn't I?

actually I don't hate everything about her - we would get on very well if it wasn't for this kind of thing.

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Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 15:38

Oh well, got to go and catch a train now. Thanks for comments & sympathy. Will check in again later.

OP posts:
fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 15:40

Yes, my school did the same. I went on mat leave in May, they used all my colleagues' Y11 time (study leave, so no teaching=free time) to cover my mat leave until Septemeber. So I was Little Miss Popular, although I was really angry about it.

My Hod are also nice and supportive, as is most of dept, BUT IT STILL HAPPENED! You still have my sympathy, it is a shite shite situation. Unique to education it appears........

fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 15:45

You could be me............exactly same feelings

Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 21:16

Thanks for sympathy Fizzbuzz. Yes, exactly the same situation.

I came home to find a sympathetic dh who had bought me a present to cheer me up, plus my two lovely children, so I am consoling myself with them. And thus do women with children end up getting screwed over at work.

I would now say, though, to young academics (or teachers) going on mat leave:
-find out exactly how your cover is going to be managed
-make sure everyone is aware of the details (eg the dept is getting money so it is not your fault if other people are being expected to do extra work)
-make it quite clear how you feel about this
-get an agreement in advance that you will be coming back to the same teaching and that if there are to be any changes they will inform you
-DON'T TRUST ANYONE! EVIL PEOPLE WILL USE IT TO TRY TO SCREW YOU OVER!!!!!

I have had lots of good advice in my time from helpful senior colleagues, but never this.

OP posts:
fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 21:23

Will you get your favourite bit back? Or has Ms Sneaky nicked it forever?

Habbibu · 06/12/2007 21:36

Kathy, what's the situation when people come off sabbatical in your dept? If they get their teaching back as was, then surely that's a case for discrimination discussions if they're treating maternity leave differently.

fizzbuzz · 06/12/2007 21:40

That's interesting Habbibu

Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 22:04

No-one has ever not got their teaching back.
(TBH I was worried they would go to the other extreme and move the boring teaching I would have done this term to next Jan so I could do it! That would be more in line with what has happened to other people in the past.)
Trouble is, the claim is that it was out of consideration for me . I actually find this rather insulting in itself because it implies that I want to do as little work as possible, whereas actually there are some bits that I positively like! However, I think if they can argue that this was a way of supporting me rather than undermining me, it would be hard to make a case that they are discriminating.

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Original poster
Kathyate6mincepies · 06/12/2007 22:08

Fizzbuzz - I think I am going to have to share it from now on. If they try to make her module leader I will have big problems with that because quite honestly I know more about the area than she does. She was also asked to contribute a couple of sessions to the module in the past but refused.

It's not that I'm mean and don't like sharing, but I think if she is appointed to teach something she doesn't like (and bearing in mind that I do lots of stuff I'm not so into as well, conscientiously and willingly) she should either develop an interest in it or change jobs, rather than try to nick someone else's job.

I really don't see why she should have this special treatment . I presumably need to be as assertive as her.

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