Discrimination after Maternity Leave

[Blondemum28]

Hi all,

Apologies for the long post but I really need some advice…

I started at my work about 4 years ago. The place was great - real family feel and I felt valued. I was working alongside someone on my own level - Jane - and we were smashing it.

I made the company lots of money so wasn’t concerned when the company was bought out and I got a new boss.

My new boss and I didn’t really gel but got on ok. I kept making the company money and Jane and I were promised big pay rises and promotions at the same time.

Then I got pregnant and went on maternity leave.

On maternity leave I was completely cut out from the company - emails stopped, no contact whatsoever.

Then I hear that Jane has had a MASSIVE payrise. A few months later Jane gets a promotion (and another payrise).

I expect that I’ll get the same when I return to work - nope. No payrise, no promotion.

Then I hear that my boss has employed others at the same level as me and who do my work - they’re paid A LOT more than me.

I plead my case to my boss telling him that I’ve already proven myself and I’m told a load of lies and that it is what it is.

Due to personal reasons I didn’t leave but would keep my options open. I returned to work about a year ago.

Coming back to work I’m treated differently - feel very much bottom of the pile snd I get the impression that my boss justified treating me differently on maternity leave by thinking that I just wasn’t that good.

Anyway I’m still smashing it - completely hit the ground running and I’ve been promised that next month I’ll get an increase in line with the new employees and I’ll get the promotion late next year.

My boss recently got drunk and implied that the reason I was treated differently is because they thought I wouldn’t be as good when I came back from maternity leave or I’d go off and have another baby…but they are trying to make it up to me.

Other members of the team noticed how I was and am treated and have actually raised this with me.

Anyway - I can’t get over how I’ve been treated just for having a kid. It’s getting me down and I’ve asked for a meeting with my boss to get things off my chest.

I need to be careful how I deal with it - I need to raise this for my mental health and I don’t want this to happen to others but if I kick up too much of a fuss I could lose what has been promised to me.

FYI for various reasons I wouldn’t be bring a claim against my employer for discrimination.

I could do with some help how to brooch the meeting, how hard to go in or should I suck up my pride, try harder to accept what’s happened and accept what they are now offering?

TIA

Don't raise it in a meeting. Keep your head down, get your pay rise, then find a better job at a nicer company. What an absolute bunch of twats.

I'd keep it factual to start with.

So, do you know how you perform relatively? In terms of numbers?

If you are bold....

You can say, "I understand why I was overlooked on maternity leave, you have told me that this is because you thought I would be less good and less valuable to you. I have done X, which compares favourably to others in the team, so I'd like to understand what my prospects are of being rewarded equally to them". NB: it is not "understandable" that you were treated differently, it is discrimination, but it makes boss think you have bought into this.

If you feel brave enough, if she makes a contingent promise, say "I am going to write this down, just so I have a record of what my targets are"

Then, if you have discussed, targets/money and got more of a firm answer, I would thank her profusely and say, if you feel brave enough "this will have a huge impact on me, but also on the other member of the team - some of them have noted that I have been treated differently, and have expressed concern to me about it". Just to let her know people have noticed! Keep the treatment stuff to the end once you have discussed (and written down) the objective stuff.

Then move in to kill with kindness by asking stuff about her, find a way to say something nice. Make it feel to her like she has had a nice cosy chat with you.

This is discrimination. If there are opportunities for promotion they are supposed to be offered even when on maternity leave.
Are the new people male/female?
The fact that they overlooked you because they didn't think you would be good after having a baby screams gender discrimination.

Look up on your rights, stick to the facts and state you would like a retrospective pay rise with backpay applied next month.

Your company is horrible and has a rotten management team.
Don't mention your mental health, don't moan about maternity leave and being treated differently, get your pay rise, then leave for a better job, and take your customers with you.

Do not say anything until they deliver on what's promised, then take them to the cleaners (i.e. Court). Document everything past and present.

Just get your payrise and then find something else. No point in raising it imo.

I’d speak with an employment lawyer.

Have a look on pregnant then screwed. It’s a charity They have lawyers you can get advice from