Hello,
I am a trainee solicitor in my penultimate seat - I have 3 months in litigation to do from Jan - March and then the plan is that I qualify into the private client dept in June. My baby is due on May 7th and I can qualify in my absence from work as long as it isn't for 4 months or longer.
Anyway, my firm are in the process of letting people go, cutting back etc. I was taken on as a trainee but a viable fee earner in the conveyancing depy just before it went tits up. I had a fee earner's wage - not a trainee wage. I didn't do well in that dept though I have had lots of experience. I wasn't given the work which came in as there wasn't much of it and what I did do was of law value, th work went to the fee earners who had been here longest, as it should, I suppose.
So I moved into the private client dept but have had some trouble grasping the work and have had regular meetings (aside from my monthly Training Principal meetings) with the two women who head the dept about the standard of my work. They aren't happy with me and I am really not happy here. Now I know why the last trainee left, and the two women they got in in her stead left, one within two weeks of starting. It's just such a difficult dept to work in and the pressure on me is high thanks to the fact that I am still benig paid as a fee earner but now don't bring in anything more than my £1000 a month trainee target.
I hate it here and plan to leave, but I live about 1 hour from work and all my appts for ante-natal care are in my home town. I know that they are going to start getting pissed off with me and wondering what's going on. I am nearly 10 weeks pregnant. Bearing in mind the above, shall I tell them now?
What will help me the best? If I tell them now are they likely to think twice before making me redundant or sacking me (I think it might be that close, they're losing too much money on me!) or will it make them do it, do you think?
Help please, I am in such a quandary!
Thank you for reading.
Cx