A work colleague has just gone on maternity leave and the rest of us in the team have been told we've got to cover her work while she's away (there was no discussion or consultation, we were just told this was management's preferred option).
We've just found out that the colleague has been given permission to take a full month's holiday to follow on from the maternity leave, making a total of 7 months away from the offfice.  Obviously, by not telling us this, the manager thought we wouldn't be any the wiser, we'd assume it was all maternity leave and carry on covering the job.
But, now that we do know, we feel really annoyed, firstly because we feel we're being taken advantage of and secondly because we think the colleague herself is pushing it a bit expecting the rest of us to cover her post while she takes a month's holiday after already being absent for 6 months.
We don't know whether we should make a fuss or just carry on grumbling amongst ourselves.....

The problem with maternity leave that after covering for all that time, the new Mum can then choose NOT to come back at all!  No wonder many employers avoid taking on ladies of a certain age! :(

Everyday I think this country's benefit system needs a blooming good overhaul.

When I took maternity leave, I told them that I had no intention of coming back :D :D

Daisy

Um, whats it got to do with the benefit system?

This lady could take 12 months off if she chose to :)

Yes, I think the law says mothers are entitled to 6 months paid leave and a further 6 months unpaid if they choose, doesn't it? A good management system would take on a temporary employee to cover.

Hi

You get 6 weeks at 90% pay, then the rest of the time at about £400 a month... then upnpaid for 6 months thereafter if you decide to take it :)

The colleague is merely taking what she is entitled to - it's the management's fault for not providing proper cover while she is away :) (One of the problems of maternity leave - big companies shouldn't find it too much of a problem, but small companies can really struggle :( )

Daisy

Presumably if your colleague has been given a further month's holiday to follow on from her maternity leave she is entitled to that month so I don't really see why you would think that she, personally, is *taking advantage*   It's not after all her decision as to how best her workload should be covered in her (rightful) absence so if you feel you have a viable grievance it should IMO be addressed solely to your Manager.

regards, Teri :)

Yes, Teri, but the thing is the rest of us would never be allowed to take a whole month off at once and would probably never even consider asking as we know it would cause pressure for those left to cover.    That is why we think she is taking advantage.

you can add holiday at the beginning or the end of your maternity leave she is only doing what she is entitled to do  perhaps you would have felt better if it was two weeks at the beginning and two weeks at the end maybe?

It is tough when work just gets shuffled around but not unusual with companies!  So can understand you might feel a bit peeved in having extra work but without the money too!

Your manager gave the go ahead - I don't see why you should try and lay a guilt trip on the employee for asking :)  If someone wanted to go to Australia for eg to visit relatives during their hols, in all likeliehood they'd require 4 weeks off to make such a lengthy and expensive trip worthwhile.  I know for sure I'd not beat myself up about what "colleagues" thought about that!  I'm sure good will, happy working relations and cameraderie are the ideal but at the end of the day we each have to make decisions that are in our own and families' best interests :)  Seems to me that is what the lady on maternity leave is thinking too :)

 

You will probably find that she has to take these holidays as she will have been accruing them whilst on maternity leave. She has to use them up and I guess why not when she needs the time.

The problem isnt with her but your employer.

I think the issue of workload just needs to be addressed - ask your manager to set priorities, and ask how the priorities are to be rearranged if there is holiday or sickness amongst those of you remaining during the absence of your colleague.  My guess is they believe that those of you left are under occupied and can therefore absorb this extra work.  Let them know what the issues are, what might suffer and perhaps also sweeten the pill by showing yourself as proactive and constructive and giving some suggestions on how the extra workload can be dealt with (ie extra paid hours, or a temp etc).  Sometimes the simple asking of how they would like things dealt with makes them realise just how much they are expecting of you.  Good luck and try not to think of this as an issue with your colleague there is nothing she can do to fix it.

good luck, Max.

Good post Max :)

if shes entitled to it then she should have it. its up to your managers to make sure theres adquate cover etc.

Now please don't think I'm taking a pop at you, Tyby - but most of your posts do appear to be in "work time".   I've been in a position where my job included staying on the internet - so a swift 1 minute check on what was happening on Champdogs could well come in my work time - and maybe your job is the same.   However, maternity leave is a state entitlement - so if you or any of your colleagues were to find yourselves pregnant during the same period, you would automatically have the same entitlements.

Margot

Now please don't think I'm taking a pop at you, Tyby - but most of your posts do appear to be in "work time".

If that's not a 'pop' Margot I don't know what is !

Unfortunately we have very poor managers who prefer not to discuss such issues with staff for fear of having to do a bit of managing :rolleyes:
Consequently the morale of the team is already fragile and this latest situation will do nothing to improve things.
Yes, it's possible staff may be allowed to take longer breaks if they visiting far off lands but probably not straight after being away from the office for 6 months !

Staff relations will only improve with effort on both sides.  I appreciate it's frustrating when expected to absorb an extra workload but it may not turn out to be as difficult as you anticipate. 

As has been suggested, perhaps a word with management using a positive spin on things may well be the way forward.   Unfortunately (and genuinely no offence is intended here) your post has been worded in what can come across as a very negative manner, particularly in apportioning "blame" on your pregnant colleague.  She does not pay your wages nor make demands of your time - ergo the onus is not on her to put right this situation.

The 6 months maternity leave is a Government directive - nobody has any right to make a working mum feel guilt in taking what she is legally entitled to.  I'd have thought other working mums, nay, women in general, would be supportive!  Our rights are few and far between at the best of times ;)

But she's not going to be taking off for far off lands, is she?   She's wanting to get to know her baby before coming back to a job where she knows that she's not appreciated, and that the time that she has off is begrudged her by her colleagues!   Frankly, I'd put it off for as long as possible too..........

>coming back to a job where she knows that she's not appreciated, and that the time that she has off is begrudged her by her colleagues

Yep, could add weight to potential post natal depression and cost the employer and employees another six months on sick leave!  :D

Sounds like poor management too me.  If things go pear shaped it would be your manager that would have to take the flack anyway. 

Cant you all get together and see your managers boss?  If she is off for 6 months and extra month isnt going to make much difference really, and if she is able to take a month as holiday so should any staff (maybe take this to your union if you are refused a months annual leave). 

Lots of my friends have been off on martinity leave and couldnt wait to leave, some even took the full year because they didnt want to go back to work immediatley. 

The 6 months maternity leave and 1 month holiday are seperate entitlements and should be regarded as such.  If the work load exceeds what you can do between yourselves then your manager should consider the possibility of getting a temp in the cover or advertise the position as maternity cover

Sack the manager!!. 

It would also possibly be fair to assume that the lady in question thought management would provide proper cover for her maternity leave and subsequent holiday, rather than expecting other staff to shoulder it? In that case, having the month off straight after her maternity leave would actually make life easier, as the replacement could work straight through. This is certainly a regular occurrence where I work.

As others say, the issue here is with the management, not with an employee who is only taking what she is entitled to during a major life event. Hope you manage to get some support from them. :D

M.

Funny, but my (male) colleagues love it when I go on Maternity Leave - they get their hands on my accounts and earn commission on any sales from them. No moans from them about my being away as long as I choose :D

Admit it Carla - they're scared of you :D :D :D

goes to put head under fluffy wuffy cushion before she gets me

There is the fact that they wouldn't dare moan... :D

Well I'm all for moaning - the gardener's late, the window cleaner left smudges on the French doors and if that dang woman doesn't pick up my ironing soon I'll have to get OH to phone a courier to deliver it :D :D :D

Pressure or what :rolleyes: :P

LOL! Sounds like my house :D

Yup - the employee who is on maternity leave is accrueing holiday entitlement
whilst she is off and that she is legally entitled to.

I agree with all the others - it's bad management - not the lady off on maternity leave.
They'd probably do the same to you all if someone was signed off on long term sick.

Really, you accrue holiday entitlement while on leave?

Yes. You are still legally employed by the company - and you are entitled to all the benefits your colleagues are.

On a recent weekend away with friends we went to a restaurant for dinner.  My dinner was awful so I explained to the waitress what was wrong and I chose an alternative which although average was much nicer than the first meal.  One of our friends just moaned to the rest of us about how awful her dinner was but said nothing to the waitress.  If you don't ask you don't get.  It's no good moaning to each other, you need to be proactive and speak to your manager.  If you don't express your concerns he can claim complete ignorance of your grievances

There are also more innocently devious ways of making sure that the bosses boss is aware of all these issues.

Put a plan in an email - bullett points only so people dont get bored reading.  Possible Issues - followed by all the relevant bullet points.  Possible solutions - followed by all the bullet points and then email it to all the people you feel should be involved and request a quick meeting to discuss the way forward.  This way you are acting in a conscientious proactive manner whilst at the same time alerting people to issues that they otherwise may not have become aware of.

At the end of the day you can only do 7hours work (or whatever time) in 7 hours - you cant be inputting to two computers at the same time, or picking up two phones and having two conversations at the same time - so you can only in reality do one persons work - if this means later on that something gets left even though you had alerted them to possible problems your Manager will have to answer. 

It is difficult obviously to make any specific recommendations not knowing the details but just give it a try you might be pleasantly surprised at their reaction and if they do come back having listened to you it might boost morale all round.  Show the bosses that you can work and communicate as a team and be proactive - they will have to start to work the same way then in fear of humiliation.

Hope all goes well,

Max   

I work in a restaurant and we would prefer if something was wrong that we were told that way we can do something about it.
Mary

Precisely Mary,  It's no good giving each other ear ache which only makes everyone even more miserable.  Managers, like restaurants, need to be told when something is wrong or else things won't improve.  I wasn't happy about my meal, but by talking I got that changed.  My friend however, did not say anything, didn't get her meal changed, left most of it and got on my nerves moaning about it.

If your managers are so poor you have several options.

You could spend your life moaning about your lot and them
You could, as already has been suggested, work out what you need, the costs and how to cover the increased work load
You could of course move.......................

Don't take out your resentment on a blameless employee who has only taken what is rightfully hers............

Hey give tyby a break eh guys?  She was only doing what others have done on here in the past which is just to post to have a moan and blow off some steam.  I happen to agree that the employee in question is not herself to blame but I'm sure tyby has already realised that by now.  

I never knew you guys only get 6 months maternity leave. We get 1 year off and I think that's quite good. From psychological point of view the first year is crucial to babie's development and this is the time when many social skills are developed. It's a very important period of growing up and bonding with his mother is almost a must (could be any other person really, as long as it's the same person all year long).

Tyby, I agree with the other posts that this is a management issue. If your managers wont tackle this then you could go to your union - if you are in one. If not join one. This is a staff welfare issue.

June

Ory, that is perfect, I am the only mum I know that actually needs 12months....
I will/can not organise or plan any single thing in my life for the year. The baby is my sole priority, I have tried to make it otherwise but even on my third it was the same. I still can barely comprehend how others cope. :rolleyes:
Karen

>that is perfect, I am the only mum I know that actually needs 12months....

Only 12 months? :P :D

I was fortunate enough to have the choice and take years :D

I only worked part time after my daughter was born but I don't think that I was fortunate.  The harder I try, the luckier (more fortunate?) I become! :D

Me too - I didn't work at all for 6 years, then have only worked part-time ever since even tho' my 'children' are 20 and 23 :D Seriously, I did consider (very fleetingly) having a nanny and going back to work in London, but it wasn't what I wanted for my children, so just told my employers that I was not coming back. OK - I didn't have any support from family (nor hubbie most of the time) - nobody to look after the children if I was ill etc, but if I had to repeat the experience, I wouldn't want any stranger looking after my small children :)

Daisy

>The harder I try, the luckier (more fortunate?) I become!

That's true.  Fact is that I ensured that I was married, had started buying a house and had bought my own car before we started our family.  I worked part time in the evenings from when the eldest was about 8 yrs so that I could continue to watch sharing assemblies and take them out whenever I wanted.

> so that I could continue to watch sharing assemblies and take them out whenever I wanted

Yup - I went to every assembly, sports day, concert etc etc. The poor children who regularly had no-one to attend these things :( It made my heart break sometimes when a child 'won' something in the weekly assembly and there was no proud mum/dad to clap or give them a cuddle :(Once they get older, they don't want mum and dad there :D - but for just a few years it makes such a difference to a child :)

Daisy

My son told me that knowing I was at home and able to come and get him at any time if he was ill at school was incredibly reassuring. :)

Mine have always known that if I am out at work then I will drop it to come back and pick them up. I don't think it would have made the first bit of difference them thinking I was *at home* :)

When the Boy was at school he told me of several occasions when sick children had to stay at school till regular hometime because a parent couldn't get off work early to collect them. To be able to take time off is a luxury not all have. :( Knowing that would never happen to him was, as I said, very reassuring to him.

Yes Daisy, its the ideal way of doing things... but what about those mums who can't go and whose fathers choose not too? My ex husband has never been to ONE school sports day or play, leaving the responsibility to me for my older 2. He also barely contributes so I have to work. And those of us who have to work don't need the "perfect mum" set making us feel any worse!

Hardly perfect! ;) I suppose it matches the comments of 'Oh don't you work, then?' from mothers who have paid jobs.