Restructure from part time to full time: ask the expert

It is not clear as to whether you are on extended maternity leave (AML) or on ordinary maternity leave (OML).  However, since you are on maternity leave with twins I suspect you are on AML.  The fact that you refer to your right to return to the same terms (if not the same job) is consistent with AML.  The correct terminology would be that the right is to return to a position which is “appropriate” and “suitable” and not on substantially less favourable terms.  However, the redundancy situation complicates matters and clearly if they are not able to offer you an “appropriate” or “suitable” role as a result of the restructure then, if that is really genuine, they would need to offer you whatever alternatives they had available.

As to whether you can reasonably refuse the positions they are offering to you, it appears that you can since arguably none of the roles are “suitable alternative employment”.  You previously occupied a part time position and now you are being offered only full time positions which would be impossible to fulfil in your current circumstances.  So the short answer to your question is that you can reasonably refuse the roles being offered and expect that this should not jeopardise your redundancy package.

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• Part time jobs Maternity leave Full-time