I have been made redundant whilst on maternity leave

Frozenace

I wish her well anyway.

I was made redundant last year, found a new job and bought a new flat, pretty wild year.

Maybe her company can be civil about it as well and she can put the facts straight, just print out all the ACAS advice and stuff.

If they can sweeten the redundancy deal, maybe it's best for the child.

ruthiehuk

Thank you for all of your opinions. I am grateful to various inputs. I realise Woody that redundancy is not easy for any one in any situation. I also realise that if i did try and persue an industrial tribunal over me being made redundant i wouldn't probably get anywhere.

I am aware of that by law they can make me redundant due to my job no longer existing i just question some of the terminology used and the fact they omitted my service whilst i was pregnant. I am unlike yourself and just an employee and my work did not make me aware of my rights or any appeal procedure.

I am also aware that i am limited in my evidence. However, i think i have got some grounds to complain over the fact i to apply and be interviewed against other candidates when this shouldn't of happened.

I actually went for an interview a couple of weeks ago, and was told it would purely go on interview, i was up against another member of staff whom was also redundant ( not on maternity though) whom had 25 years worth of experience. i needn't tell you she got the job for her experience, even though i was "stronger at interview" !!!

They messed me about regarding the interview time and asked me to shadow the employing department at 2 hours notice when i have two under 5's at home, and live 20 miles from my family, which my work are well aware of!!!

i feel they are trying to make it difficult for me. I can move on from being made redundant i just feel like i have been treated badly.

I may be throwing my dollys out of the pram, but unlike a lot of our nation i actually want to work and not linger in the benefits system.

woody01

However, i think i have got some grounds to complain over the fact i to apply and be interviewed against other candidates when this shouldn't of happened.

I actually agree this is incorrect and they have not acted appropriately.
I cannot see though, and i doubt a tribunal would either, that this has any direct relations to maternity.

IF you are persuing this, then the maternity route is the wrong way to go.
I would focus far more on protocol.

and my work did not make me aware of my rights or any appeal procedure.

These days ANYTHING can be appealed.
If time has not run out for this then try it. You never know

paulf693

　
Woody01 is wrong!!!! I feel dreadfully sorry for the poor people who work for his VERY large multinational company. Please do not let his misunderstanding of the law put you off fighting this.

As a woman on maternity leave you DO have special protection from being made redundant. That is not to say that a woman on maternity leave can never be made redundant. If a genuine redundancy situation arises whilst you are on maternity leave ie. your employer goes bankrupt, then yes you can be made redundant, however in your situation I believe you have a strong case for unfair dismissal on the grounds of sexual discrimination.
Under regulation 10 of the Maternity and Parental Leave Regulations 1999, in a redundancy situation, any woman on maternity leave has the right to be offered any suitable alternative vacancy if one exists. In your case you have stated that such vacancies did exist and that you were made to apply/interview for these posts. This is wrong. A woman on maternity leave should be given priority over other employees for any alternative posts, regardless of whether there is a better candidate, and should therefore not be made to apply/interview for such posts. This may stick in the throat of people like woody01 who believe equality law means that everyone should be treated exactly the same rather than fairly. If you think about it, is it fair for a woman preparing for birth or who has just gone through the trauma of birth to be forced to fill out a job application or prepare for an interview? No it isn't! Is it fair that a woman who should be concerntrating on looking after her newborn, who hasn't slept for 5 months, should be forced to apply for the same job against her colleagues who are at work full time, fully in touch with the business on a day to day basis and the developmental oppurtunities that that provides? No, it isn't! People may say that this is discrimination against other staff not on maternity leave, and they would be right. This is one of the few examples of positive discrimination in employment law and it is designed to protect women like yourself from being unfairly penalised for having the audacity to continue the human population.

For the record, I am a man, and for any men (or women) reading this thinking how outrageous it is that a pregnant woman should be offered such protection then I would like to remind them that these women are carrying our children, they are our wives, our sisters and they bring income into our households. This kind of discrimination isn't a battle between men and women rather one of employees justly fighting to protect their jobs.

ruthiehuk, as a new member to this forum I'm apparantly not alowed to posts links but there is plenty of information out there which will confirm my post. Try parentsatwork.org.uk and workingfamilies.org.uk. I realise this is a fairly old post but I hope you are able to fight what in my opinion is a clear case of unfair dismisal on the grounds of sexual discrimination, good luck!