Being made redundant while on maternity leave

2 Posts

Hello so today I spoke to my employer about my return to work on 18th may as I'm currently on maternity leave then he rang me saying I'm being made redundant due to covid19 can they do this as I feel this is unfair
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However, you should ask you employer if they'll consider furloughing you for the period between 18th May and 30th June instead given COVID-19 has been given as the reason. They don't have to but it will allow them to easily bring you back in July if things change and for you to get part pay for a few weeks.
However pregnancy and maternity leave do not make you immune from being made redundant. If your job no longer exists or if costs are being cut overall and you have been lawfully selected for redundancy by a fair process then yes you can be made to go.
You've not posted anything on here which suggests you've been treated unfairly due to having a baby. Like I already said if your employer decided your job was safe only because you'd just had a baby and made a childless colleague of yours redundant then that would be unlawful discrimination.
If, for instance, they had hired a temp to cover your maternity leave and then decided to keep the temp and make you redundant without any form of consultation process, then that would be unlawful discrimination.