I feel like work have lied to me and I’m now trapped

[Pinkdreams]

I had a full time job before becoming pregnant, I worked up until I took maternity leave, at around 6 months I had a conversation with my boss around me not wanting to work full time (Monday - Friday 9-5) until DD was in school. My manager informed I wouldn’t be able to continue the job I’m doing as I’d need to get a job share which would be hard to find, she instead offered me an alternative role (completely different role than I’d ever done and not something I would ever consider - it’s not me), less hours. She stated to is would be flexible and I could choose my hours/days to suit me, this was also reiterated in an interview we had for official purposes. I started back last week and feel like I’ve been lied to, there’s another woman who has the same role part time, she has set days and hours so I’m basically having to fit in around when she’s off, It’s not at all flexible and she won’t budge on her set days. I feel like I’ve been lied to, if I had of known this from the beginning I could have spent the 4 remaining months of my maternity leave looking for another suitable job, now I feel lied to and stuck until I find something else. Is this fair?

Is the new job a job share, rather than a flexible part time role?

They explained to me that it would be 20 hours and I could pick and choose my days and hours to suit me/childcare but yes essentially it’s a job share

Did you sign a new contract? What did the contract say about your hours?

Yes I did, it only states my contracted hours are 20, it doesn’t state any t ing else to do with days/hours. I’m just thinking have they don’t this so I wouldn’t submit a flexible working request from my old job?

Can you read your entire contract. Does it say that the days/times you do your 20 contracted hours are subject to business needs. An employment contract will usually build that flexibility in for the employer. If you signed a contract with such a clause, you have contractually agreed to those terms and will be harder to prove a misrepresentation by the employer.

I guess this means they can do what they please?

What days/times do you want to do?

What days/times is the other person in the job share doing ?

Within reason.

As it is important to you, you should have asked for those terms to be amended to set out your days and hours are to be at your choice. If the company refused to at that point, that would have given you a chance to walk away from the new role.

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing. It is a bitter lesson but everyone should read their employment contract before they sign it.

You need to think about what your desired outcome should be. You don't want to go back to your previous ft role and you don't like the inflexibility of the current role. Are you asking for another alternative role within the same company?

Are you reporting to the same manager in the new role? Your bargaining position is not strong because you already signed the contract but you can still raise the point that your manager misrepresented that the job was flexible. I don't have enough of a sense whether for you to go in hard or softly softly or what you expect the company to do for you now.

Although it is frustrating, I don't think you have much of a redress.

I dont see how you have been lied too?

Do you have any written evidence of them stating you will have flexibility in the role, or were those conversations all verbal?

Her manager said she’d be able to choose her days / hours.

Contact Pregnant then Screwed:

pregnantthenscrewed.com/support-services-2/

You should have checked that it was in writing on your contract. Seeing as it was discussed at interview and not just part of the negotiations, it may have been documented in the interview notes.

But you’re not clear on what you’ve actually done so far to address the hours of work issue. Have you emailed your manager or asked for a meeting to discuss?

OP, get a new job. They are trying to manage you out. never, ever accept oral assurances, and get a union rep/lawyer to look at your employment contracts. I’m sorry, but it is a life lesson most of us have to learn.

So is your child at nursery and you need to work those days? If so surely you would have agreed the days before returning otherwise how did you know what day and time to turn up on your first day?

They haven't lied to you. You didn't read the contract fully before agreeing.

No, because it’s unlikely they’d be compliant with minimum wage if you’re contracted 20hours and regularly work overtime to the tune of up to 28 per week.
Definitely reach out to pregnant then screwed as previously suggested.

Do you have to work exactly the opposite hours to job share lady? If you were both in on Monday and neither on Tuesday, would that matter? Or would it be ok as long as the work gets done by the end of the week?

My previous role was head of admin, everyone will receive the same contract, if someone has set days/times once the contract is done the manager will then do a ‘change to terms’ form and this will be reviewed every few months, that’s why I didn’t think anything of signing the contract

this is what I was thinking, I think they were nice to me to get me to give up my job, I think they didn’t expect me to accept this position as they know I have more experience and more to give, I feel rather embarrassed. Me and the manager were rather close before since coming back it feels different

Is it any easier for them to get rid of you from the new job than the old one? If not, then what is the motivation to lie to you to get you to accept the new job? They still have the same problem (assume the end game was to get you out), just different job.

I guess now that you are part time 20 hours maybe it will cost them less.

The upshot is you did not want to do your old job on the same terms. They are under no obligation to change your terms. You could have put in a flexible working request and under the law they would have to consider it in a reasonable manner but can still turn you down for business reasons. You will then be back to square one. Ultimately, you got to find another job whether inside or outside the company. You have lost a couple during the last 4 months of your maternity leave due to being strung along but you are only a week coming back from maternity leave. You can still use this time to look for another job.

It is annoying to be lied to but there is a lesson to be learnt about accepting a job without agreeing the precise details as to your working days/hours if they were so important to you. You have lost a few months but it is not the end of the world.

Chalk this one down to experience and move on.