Help re return to work

butterflylady

Hi,

I'm hoping some clever person will be able to give me some advice, I have previously posted this problem before but I am unable to find my last thread so I will give a brief overview:

I went on to maternity leave last year and returned to work on the 1st of March, I have 2 contracts with 2 different schools both under the same LEA.

1 of my contracts was to attend school once a month to complete 2 specific financial tasks, I have helped the school out a lot during my maternity leave due to staffing sickness.

At the end of Jan I was phoned and was invited for a coffee with my DD, I nipped in, sat having a chat etc, the acting head asked to speak to me. I went in to her room with my DD and she said that unfortunatley there was no place in the staffing structure for my role. I said that as I was on maternity and had a contract she couldn't do that. Acting head stated I wasn't on a contract I said I am, I took the paperwork in that PM and left them a copy.

As I felt that the meeting had been conducted incorrectly I spoke to ACAS who advised me to send a letter in. I did this a couple of days later.

I then waited and waited by the 3rd week in Feb I still hadn't heard anything so I rang them, they said they would get back to me. I've still not heard anything, I e-mailed them on Tuesday and phoned them today again today but no one was available to talk to me.

I have no idea what to do next, should I just wait it out, should I phone the LEA HR?

I was hoping that the 'proper' head would be back now as it is him I have previously worked with but no such luck.

Sorry that was very long, thank you if you have managed to get this far!!

NMSE12

Are you in an union? firstly i'm not 100% sure on employment law but i do know that if you are contrcted into a position, then take maternity leave you WILL have a job to go back to whether they "need" you or not.
I would consistantly ring, write arrange meeting etc with DD or anyone in a senior position. Make it clear that you have a job and need to know what date you will be starting back.
Good luckx

Savvy_Sue

I believe they could make you redundant, but there ought to be some consultation before that happens. Agree that union and making a nuisance of yourself are the way to go. Could also be worth talking to the LEA.

Flyboy152

Who is your contract with? Is it with the Local Authority/Children's Services, or direct with the school?

butterflylady

The contract is with the school, when I had my meeting with the acting head she acknowledged that the work was still there it was just being given to someone else.

I am a member of a union but the local branch don't seem up to much they just send forms out.

Just stuck as I don't like to upset people especially as I will still see them in a work environment due to my other job.

Flyboy152

butterflylady wrote: »

The contract is with the school, when I had my meeting with the acting head she acknowledged that the work was still there it was just being given to someone else.

I am a member of a union but the local branch don't seem up to much they just send forms out.

Just stuck as I don't like to upset people especially as I will still see them in a work environment due to my other job.

Then they are probably breaking the law, I say "probably," because without fully knowing the circumstances, it is impossible to say for definite, but by what you have written so far, I would err on the side that they are digging temselves a very deep hole.

Have they put anything in writing, were there any witnesses to the so-called "back to work interview?"