Any HR people who can advise me on returning to work issue?

[joorla]

I've got a meeting on Thursday with the HR manager about my return to work in November.

My work hours before I left on maternity leave were Mon - Weds, 8.30 - 5.30 each day. I don't want to change my days but would like to work 8.30 till 5.00 with half hour for lunch.

I can't see my hours being a problem, but my work colleague who is also on maternity leave is also attending a meeting previous to mine. Her hours were full time and she is now applying for 3 days tues - thurs.

I think my company may ask me to change one of my days to a Friday so that the job is covered every day. I don't want to change my days. so basically, do I have rights to keep my existing days?

Many thanks

not an hr person but heres how i understand it:

• you have a right to go back to your existing T&Cs
• you have a right to request a change to your flexible working arrangement & they have to justify a refusal
• the

y may try to negotiate & ask you to change the day, but you can refuse

That's what I thought.

Here's hoping they don't ask me to change my days, it could put me in an awkward situation. It could be that if I don't change a day to a Friday that they won't allow my colleague to return to work part-time and we're quite good friends (even more so after having babies within a week of each other and going to baby groups etc together).

or they may suggest she does wed-fri as a compromise

But if you were working 3 days prior to ML and your friend was working 5 days that means 8 days worth of work to be covered? So creating a job share between the two of you, where each person works three days, still leaves a shortfall of two days. While asking you both to job share might tidy things up nicely for some of the days it still leaves a shortfall to cover the work. Therefore, I don't think they will necessarily pressurise you to move into a job share with your friend as they must realise that will need to employ someone to cover the additional days so it is just as easy to advertise for someone to do a share with your friend on her days off. Otherwise, be careful that you don't end up dividing up the job between you and doing four days work in three.

They definitely won't employ another person even though there is a shortfall of 2 days. The company I work for are very tight and will spend the least amount of money they possibly can so it is likely that we would be doing the extra work between us.

On another point, nobody had pay rises last year, instead they gave us 6 monthly payouts, one was given in June which we both received, the other was given in December which we did not receive as we were both on maternity leave. I was going to ask for a pay-rise(!) when I go back as I've passed 2 more exams and so further qualified (accountancy). My employers have not funded my study either. I don't want to upset my employers because I like working there (don't know why reading this they sound awful), and I need the money too. Should we have received the December payout (left on ML in Nov) and whats the best way to ask for a pay-rise?

bump

Your terms can be changed with a months notice but your he dept should consult you.

Just to clarify what someone said. It's not so much justify a refusal as give a valid reason

Whether u should have had bonus in dec is prob at discretion of the company. If I had given performance related bonus I would include any staff who worked during the relevant period. But say it was for jun to dec then people Absent for the entire period no matter what the reason would not gave had it.