Beware - longwinded story about to come your way!
I joined a small company in September 2008. There was the only the MD and myself in the office. I was originally brought on as Maternity Cover and then given a permanent contract.
I got pregnant (accidentally, no intention to be employed for just the right amount of time to get maternity pay). I stayed at work until 1 week before my daughter was born in August. We agreed that after 6 weeks I would come back into work for 2 days a week, fulfilling the MAIN objectives of my previous role which included Credit Control amongst other things.
Just before I left, the lady whose maternity leave I had covered, returned. She had previously only done the inputting aspect of book keeping, staff expenses etc, and a book keeper had come in to pay wages etc (responsibilities that I had taken on in her absence). Therefore her role had essentially stayed the same and I was going to manage her.
When I returned in September, after my 6 weeks, 3 weeks in, I was told that they needed me to take on a more substantial role, and that they would like me to do some work from home. I agreed. I was told I could do as many hours as I needed from home, they would buy me a laptop etc...Two weeks later(!!!) before work from home had started, I was told I would not be working from home, and all accounts were going to other employee (she is training in her AATs at the moment).
This lady had also been asking me what I was paid, had looked at my personnel file, found out it was more than her, was generally unpleasant about it, adn seems to have thrown her weight around to get her own way.
I left work to take the rest of maternity leave (with employers agreeance)- and put the days I had worked down as KIT days, as I didn't feel the post I was being given was what I had wanted to come back to.
Roll on 8 months, the lady is pregnant again, and about to go on maternity leave in 4 weeks. My employers have been pestering me about returning, however I was sent an email yesterday saying they have to 'create' a role for me?! If the other woman is leaving on Maternity Leave, surely I should be offered that as it is essentially what my job was anyway....They are not even considering me working from home at all even though they originally suggested it. And to top it off, they are employing someone new, to do the book keeping and the bulk of my previous role...
What do I do? What are my rights? There is a lot more back ground to this story, and I feel that I am being sidelined because I am now a mother. His email said my new role was less deadline based which would suit me better now
... presumably better now I'm a mother which renders me incapable of doing something on time!
Help! (Sorry for long post and if it makes no sense DD has just woken up from nap and is 'helping' me type!)