Risk of redundancy after a miscarriage

[Wedgie]

Hi everyone

I have been back at work for less than a year after having baby number 1. I had loads of problems with my boss leading up to going back, he wanted to take some responsibilities off me and give to the person who had been caretaking my role. It all got sorted a couple of days before I was due to go back! So it has been awkward since I went back and get the feeling he wanted revenge.

I have just had a miscarriage at 12 weeks and have been back at work for a couple of weeks. Now I have been told my position is at risk and they are thinking of closing my department, making 2 of us redundant. Does it seem unreasonable to think that it may be because he thinks I will go off and try again for another baby, and he doesn't wanna pay maternity benefit? WHat do you guys think to the timing of this??!! xx

Sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

I think it's highly unlikely your boss would close a department completely and make two people redundant just because one of the two might at some point in the future go on maternity leave. I really can't see it tbh.

I think the timing is unfortunate but I think you are probably being a tad unreasonable by thinking it's because you might (hopefully) get pregnant again soon.

The timing is not good, but would have been worse if they told you while you were off having just had a miscarriage.

What duties have been taken off you? Vital to your job? Is the replacement during your maternity leave also being made redundant?

Flowerybeanbag, you don't know what this guy is like. I know it might sound unreasonable to an outsider but this is just how he operates. Once he found out I was pregnant he started talking about my alleged poor performance, which had neve been mentioned before. He was furious I was gonna go off on leave again.

Ilovemydogandmrobama, the duties weren't taken off me in the end but I had to fight damn hard to keep them. It is proposed to make the replacement redundant too but I have my suspicions they might keep her on. She was already working for me but was promoted to caretake in my absence. I think you and I are thinking the same thing.....

No, I don't know what he is like, you are right, and I am an outsider, but you asked for outsiders' opinions. Based on the information given, my response is still that you are unreasonable to think that.

People do behave badly towards pregnant women and those who go on maternity leave, but I think closing down a department is a decision you wouldn't make purely because one of the team members might go on maternity leave at some point. Regardless of how badly he behaves normally, that would be bizarre behaviour in the extreme.

If you've been back at work a few months and the person brought in to replace you is still there, I don't think she should still be considered your replacement. You are both working there now so keeping her not you wouldn't necessarily be the wrong thing to do. I am assuming the dept is you and her? In which case shutting the dept down would mean you both being redundant, and it would be a case of finding alternative employment elsewhere if possible. You should be on equal footing for this.

I'm not saying he behaves well or is planning to behave well, I have no idea, but I think you are sounding a tad paranoid thinking he is shutting down a department simply because you might get pregnant.

It would really help if we had a decent HR department we could go to. Total waste of space that they are.

Thankyou for the extremely useful advice!!