maternity/rights/change of role

[puppylovey]

I have been back at work after maternity leave for a few months. The person who covered me has had their contract extended as our team could do with the help.

They are continuing with the work I was doing before I went on maternity leave.
I have been given some different things to work on, which I said I was okay to do, my job title or contract has not changed, it's just some extra work that needs doing and currently what works for the team.

Our team is now due for review to decide if this new way of working will be continued, or if my cover person finishes their contract and I go back to my original duties.

I am just a bit concerned that if they keep this person, and keep me doing the "new duties" if it is eventually decided that it needs to go back to the original way, with 1 less person, will I be the one who goes? Am I still protected?

I am just a bit concerned that if they keep this person, and keep me doing the "new duties" if it is eventually decided that it needs to go back to the original way, with 1 less person, will I be the one who goes? Am I still protected?

Do you mean hypothetically off in the distant future? So if they review now and decide the team needs the extra person and offer the cover a permanent contract, but a few years later things change and the team needs to shrink? Will you be protected from redundancy in that hypothetical future?

I doubt it, but there are rules around redundancy processes that would have to be followed. A person with cancer (so protected under Equality Act as disability) can be made redundant if their absence prompts a reshuffle of roles that means later that the employer no longer needs them. All protections have limits.

But your scenario is conjecture. They haven't even made the decision about whether to permanently expand the team yet!

And if you were on ML for more than 6 months you were only entitled to an equivalent role on your return, so it's not like you can do anything now even if your scenario wasn't entirely speculative.