My son is now 10mths old & I was hoping to go back to work part-time. Unfortunately my employer could only offer me full-time return to work. I was gutted. I need to work due to our financial situation, but I also want to spend time with my son. The industry I work in - architecture is not kind to part time work! What can I do to return to work. Ideally I want to work three days a week or do a five hour day. What could I possibly do? Re-train to do something else? If I do find work, I can't get guaranteed childcare at the drop of a hat. Is there anyone out there who can help/advise me on this. I'm sure there must be plenty of mums who go through the same dilemma I am experiencing. There doesn't appear to be much flexible working out there for professionals. Thank you.…
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I will be returning to work at the end of June after my Additional Maternity Leave. I have already had to submit a grievance in accordance with company procedure as my manager has refused my (I believe reasonable) request for flexible working. I now discover that in my absence a new post has been created and filled which sits between my role and my line manager, which means I will now have to report into this new post. Although this possibility was being discussed before I went on leave (and I voiced my objection at the time), nothing had been confirmed and I have not been consulted at any point. In fact I have still not been told officially. However, the matter has been discussed at length with the other team members who will be affected and they have been asked to provide their input in reaching this decision. I was led to believe that any changes which significantly affect one's job should be notified to the staff member during maternity leave. In my opinion, this issue constitutes a restructure and in essence reduces the grade of my job by the fact that there is now another layer of management between me and my line manager. Do I have a discrimination case at all?…
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I'm currently on maternity leave getting satutory maternity pay. In my time on maternity leave I have started a business as a sole trader. I'm pretty sure my employer know this now as we use the same social networks. Am I jeopardising my maternity pay by starting this business?…
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I am a self-employed “meeting leader” for weight watchers (“the Company”) and run nine meetings each week. I am pregnant and require advice as to whether I may return to my nine weekly meetings after having my baby.…
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I have two children aged seven and one. I returned to work last November. I've worked for the company for 11 years and held a managerial position, but after having my children I didn't feel I could commit to that particular job fully. I therefore returned on an admin basis for two days a week. I love my job and love working the two days. My youngest attends nursery and is at the stage where she is catching everything going. Since starting back at work in November she has had gastroenteritis twice which has meant that I have had a total of three days off counted as 'time off for dependants' on two separate occasions. I am fully aware that I won't be paid for these days and nor do I expect to be. I have just been called into a meeting with my manager to discuss my attendance and he said he has been asked by the director to talk to me to put it in writing. I questioned this and asked what the next course of action would be if either of my children were ill again - after all, I cannot guarantee they won't be. My manager didn't really know - he was just acting as the messenger and he actually felt it was an unjust conversation and could see that I had no alternative but to take the time off when the children were ill. My manager asked HR if the meeting had to be documented in writing and they said at this stage it was just a chat. I didn't feel as if was a chat at all. I feel totally under pressure about the situation and I am worried about what will happen if either of my children are ill again. There are other mums in the office too and they have had time off in the past, but I know that they have not been spoken to and what's more they have been paid, but I am happy not to be paid. There are also other people within the office who have got far worse attendance records than me and they also have not been spoken to. I feel as if I am always treated differently to everyone else as I've worked directly under the director for many years before he was a director. My manager also said he was in a foul mood because his car had been hit before he came to the branch and that may have prompted him to act in the way that he has. Can they put pressure on me for the time I have taken, given that it has been unpaid and taking into account that the illness was short? Please could you advise me? Thanks.…
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