Change contract when pregnant?

aj9648

getmore4less wrote: »

Check you house insurance for legal cover on employment disputes.


What is the motivation behind the change?( ie. a proper business case or trying to get you to leave).


Understanding the motivation can help with the approach.


What sort of employer?


if this is HR/manager in a bigger org they may back off if their bosses won't like a dispute.


if some small private company trying it on they will end up with significant costs if ends up at an ET.

I think they are trying to get rid of me (or forcing me) - they think I am a hassle on 2 days and they cannot work round it

Employer is a school

Bascially if I dont sign then they rip up my current contract and give me the revised terms anyway and a different job maybe.....no win...grrr

getmore4less

My experience of schools is not good(family) and they don't really know the rules and try anything.


Who actually pays you sometimes it is not the school.


How long have you been there? any continuous service from other quailifying employment


Ripping up the contract could be a potential redundancy situation and any they would probably need to argue a suitable alternative case.


They also need to comply with any notice periods(1 week per year)


When would maternity start?


any luck from redundancy forum(don't pop over there much).

aj9648

The school / council pay me

I have been there 5 years and have a couple years service at another school

Materrnity starts in mid September

getmore4less

AIUI then there might be an HR team in the Council.


Might be asking them to get involved to bring the school into like as they will be the ones that will have to sort out the mess is it goes to redundancy/termination/maternity.


If the service was continuous between schools then that's 7 years service they will be paying out on
Also they need to give 7 weeks notice of any change so may already be into maternity.


The issue is that they could go down the redundancy route your job is gone and there is a suitable alternative(same hours over different days) and that might be considered OK by an ET.


On a practical note if they can/can't make the change what would be easiest for you going forward.


If you do extended maternity your rights to your old job back change.


If you make the day changes, if you take full maternity it will be Sept 2015 before you have to worry about(assume you are terms time) , and will only have to cover a bit of Sept this year if the notice to change is 7 years.


Who is driving this and what are their reasons(you won't be there anyway).
Understand that and you are in a better position to fight your corner.


Are they worried about the budget and think they can get you to leave and not have to pay out maternity


You could propose that they leave you as is as it is only a week or two and get the maternity cover to do the school year on the new schedule and you come back on your normal hours
Note if you take the full year they may realise they can make the change on return, I think the same hours over 3 days would be considered a suitable equivalent job on return from extended maternity.