Redundancy while on maternity leave advice please

cherrycat_2

Hi everyone

Could anyone help me out with some advice?

Whilst on maternity leave I was made redundant as funding was lost for my post. I went into work whilst on mat leave to discuss this and I was offered another job in the company...4 days a week instead of 5 that I was originally working. But the catch was I had to start it NOW! Cut short my maternity leave or loose the job. So I accepted in panic and went home. I couldn't find suitable childcare as I had some already in place for three months time when my maternity leave would originally finish and couldnt bring it forward so phoned work and had to turn the job down. Everyone in my family thought this was out of order..take the job now or forget it...discriminating against me because I was still on maternity leave and expecting me to come back early.

Anyway, the last months ticked by and no other jobs in my area came up at the company....in the last few weeks of my leave HR phoned and told me the other job I didnt take hadnt been filled (oh and they had told me they had to fill it now or else 3 months ago! Rubbish!) so I said ok I can take it now as my mat leave finishes next week and I was desperate for a job. I persumed that my previous salary would be in place as they never mentioned it when they offered me the job the first time...so I imagined it was on a par with the last one. How wrong was I it was six and a half grand less per anum! I worked out my sums and after chilcare costs for son I would bring home about £30 a week before petrol....I therefore couldnt see the point as it was a job with less responsibility, less money and a waste of my skills and experience. I feel totally let down and it doesnt sit right with me. Im not very up on employment law so just wonderd if my employers were allowed to do this.

Really appreciate any help.

Many thanks