Hi Mumsneters,
I recently returned to work after mat leave and I'm trying to decide what to do next. I'm 36 yo and I want to have one more DC before it's too late and while I'm still with my current employer for the mat benefits. My DH is 46. We planned to start trying soon but the landscape I've found at work after my return is problematic to say the least. I was nervous about returning as it is due to being off for a year and feeling rusty.
Well, upon my return I found out that a political storm that I left behind a year ago resulted in me getting the blame as people that have friends very high up were involved and I essentially got scapegoated. Also the role I left behind no longer fits into the team structure and I've been offered another role of the same rank but more prominence which is all that was available. It's been sold to me as a great opportunity but that I've got to navigate a tarnished reputation and prove myself against it. I've been reassured at the same time that the reputational damage is all in the past but I question why it was quoted as a potential issue for my candidacy for the role by someone important who had to be reassured by my manager I'd be a good fit.
I'm getting mixed messages, on the one hand telling me I'm the chosen one for the role and on the other hand telling me there was some resistance to give it to me. Basically the top person in my field had the doubts and the top person in a neighbouring department who partners with them was super keen on me. I've also been told I'll be eased in to the role and my performance won't be assessed until 6 months from now. I'll also have two 1:1s a week...
From a legal standpoint my manager is just following protocol; he's given me a job with the same title and selling it as a great opportunity that I should thank him for and he's telling me I'm safe until my DS turns 18 months which is as long as my maternity rights protect me in any case.
The situation sucks as I thought I was returning to work and walking into a promotion because I was valued but the reality now seems a lot different. If a second DC wasn't in the plan I'd dust off my skills and look for another job and probably demote myself to save me the political headache in a future role and be able to focus on DS. But right now I am so out of practice and just in shock with all this that updating my CV and interviewing feels like climbing Mount Everest. I'm telling myself that 6 months of transitioning into this role is safer than a probation period in a new job that might only be 3 months.
I wonder if I'm being given this new opportunity because it's the safest option for my manager to not get into trouble with HR and he's promised the higher ups he'll have me on my way out the door within 6 months if the naysayers are right.
Also the new role sounds super political and doesn't even have a job description which I'm planning on requesting. My manager has already said the job will define itself with time though. All I know is I'm managing a team whereas before I was managing one person. It's going to be difficult to succeed in the role and questionable whether they are really giving me a chance or whether they are parking me until my maternity protections end. But then... why give me a whole team to manage and strategic responsibilities?
I wish our mortgage didn't depend on me always being in work because if it didn't I would take a break at this point as I feel check mated and 20 years from now I really hope I'm not saying we wanted a second DC but job uncertainty prevented it. I've discussed downsizing with DH but he loves our house and downsizing since we already have a small house would mean changing postcode which would be a real shame.
Should I stay and see what happens? Should I try for another DC in the meantime?