Employer proposing reduced hours shortly before maternity leave starts

[missmotivation]

I currently work 3 days a week. Am meant to start mat leave in July.

Have just been blindsided in a HR meeting that they're considering reducing my working hours. I was told it was to discuss changes to the role (shifting from focusing on one area to having a dual focus as there wasn't enough work to fill the time) but the during the meeting it quickly became evident that there had been other background discussions around options and that the leading option at the moment from the companies pov is to reduce my working days. It kinda felt like because I'll be leaving in the summer for 9-10 months that they feel there's no point in offering training at this stage so they'd instead want me to reduce hours. Nothing specific was mentioned, it was all very carefully put, but I'm pretty sure that was the subtext.

We now have a month review period and then will have another meeting in mid-April to decide on the best course of action.

If I drop hours before I start mat leave I assume my maternity pay will be based on whatever the new hours are, rather than the current situation?

Ugh that was horrible. We're a tiny organisation so my boss often invites 'specialists' to meetings about things to sense check he's doing things right, we've had it with accountants, strategy, marketing pros etc, so inviting the person they go to for HR support didn't raise any huge alarm bells. Then the first thing the hr woman said was 'for the records I would like to note you have been offered a chaperone for this meeting (I hadn't!) and have declined it, unless you would like to declare now that there is someone in the room with you?' and after that it all got formal very quickly. I'm a bit shaken up.

Are you a member of a union? I'd call ACAS in your shoes or contact Pregnant then Screwed. In the first instance, you weren't offered someone to accompany you and as a consequence are blindsided and not clear on exactly what is going on here. I would put that in writing asap and make sure they put what they are proposing to "consult on" for a month in writing asap.

Please be clear - they cannot discriminate against you because you are pregnant. If the role is changing to cover two areas and they have to train someone twice, that's just tough. No reason you can't train your maternity cover in the areas you are currently responsible for. Are they consolidating two jobs into one?

If the role is changing to a full time job then my strong recommendation is to indicate that you wish to apply for it [irrelevant whether you do it long term] and stall their thinking that you are just going to be pushed aside. A lot can happen in a year, and you could ask for a job share on your return. With a 9-10 month mat leave they don't have to offer your old job back to you bear in mind.

Worth bearing in mind that employment laws are due to change in 2027 - here's an excerpt from a law firms page. They may also be trying to get out in front of this given your likely return date.

Pregnant employees and those on, or returning from, extended family leave are currently given additional protection in redundancy situations. Since April 2024, in a redundancy situation, pregnant employees, if provisionally selected for redundancy, have had the right to be offered suitable alternative employment (where available) from the point they inform their employer of their pregnancy. This protection continues throughout pregnancy and for 18 months following the child’s birth. The changes due in 2027 will strengthen protections for pregnant women and new mothers. It will be unlawful to dismiss a pregnant employee or one returning from maternity leave within six months of their return, except in limited circumstances. This enhanced dismissal protection will relate not only to redundancy, but to any dismissal.

@missmotivation the first thing it to put in writing you were not offered a chaperone prior to the meeting. Request a copy of the meeting invite where it offered you a chaperone.

Ask to reorganise the meeting and take someone with you. Make sure they take notes.

https://pregnantthenscrewed.com

write that, no, you don’t agree to your contacted hours changing.

contact acas.

How pregnant are you? Your SMP is based on wages in roughly weeks 17-25 of pregnancy.

Oh sweetheart, that sounds absolutely horrible and deliberately sneaky. Ambushing you with an HR person, lying about offering you a chaperone, and doing this while you're pregnant and about to go on mat leave? That's not how decent employers behave.
You're right to be worried about the timing. If they reduce your hours before your maternity pay calculation period, which is usually weeks 17 to 25 of pregnancy, then yes your SMP would be based on the lower earnings. The timing of this feels very deliberate and could be pregnancy discrimination.
A few things to do now. First, write down everything that happened in that meeting while it's fresh, who said what, exact words used, the lie about the chaperone offer. Second, email your boss today asking for written confirmation of what was discussed and what the proposed changes are. Third, check your dates carefully as if you're due in July your qualifying weeks may already be passing. Fourth, contact ACAS for free advice because reducing a pregnant woman's hours right before mat leave is a massive red flag legally.
Do not agree to anything in writing until you've had proper advice. You have a month and you should use it to protect yourself. This is not okay and you're not overreacting. Would keeping a proper record help? Something like workproof.me could be useful for documenting all of this properly in case you need it later.

Hey all thanks for the advice.

I've put a summary of my understanding following the meeting into writing and asked for a written summary from my boss, alongside mentioning that to the best of my memory no chaperone was offered and asking for evidence of that. There's nothing in the calendar invite and everything else was verbal. But I feel like that would have been a huge red flag that I wouldn't easily forget!!

The meeting took place when I was 21 weeks pregnant, and this review period will last a month so will be in my 25th week...I'll hit 26 weeks the day after the meeting; so I'm hoping the mat pay is safe either way, but could mean a few months of reduced wages ahead of going off which isn't ideal. Thanks for the suggestion to contact ACAS, am not in a union so that was a helpful pointer.

Luckily as soon as the chaperone question was asked I had the wherewithal to record the meeting on my phone so, whilst I don't have any evidence of the chaperone bit I have everything else audio recorded both for my own reference and evidence purposes.

Bleugh. I was already wondering about going back to this job after mat leave as it's been diminishing for a while. Think this might have clinched that decision for me tbh.

I’d write to them to say that you do not agree to your contract altering. That you will continue working your three days a week.

Please contact acas.

Recording the meeting without getting agreement could be a disciplinary matter. Please ask acas if it’s safe to disclose this is what you’ve done.

Yourmate.org.uk are a union that accept cases with pre-existing issues, should you need assistance.

https://www.yourmate.org.uk/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21069972468&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9-PNBhDfARIsABHN6-2OoLJcOhsQpOwzVv7XWlIqLnIFSxO8oUEJD2_ABCXQaGnRpTcUdWgaArISEALw_wcB