Hi Jen
I'm not 100% sure on this, but this is the way I think it works. If you work full time and are entitled to maternity leave then they have to give you a job for same money/hours if you want to go back. If there is nothing for you, then they would have to offer you a redundancy.
However, if you worked full time and want to go back part time, they don't have to agree to that and you would have to resign if you didn't want to go back to your old hours. They don't have to give you a job with different hours/conditions than you had before.
This is the way it worked it the last job I was in and from speaking to others, seems to be pretty standard.
Megan is pretty much right, but in VIC some new laws came in last year(?). If you desire to go back part-time your employer needs to negotiate this with you. They can only refuse if they can prove that it would not be a viable prospect for them to employ you on a part-time basis. I know this because my boss showed me the paperwork when it was sent to him! GL, I hope you get the job you want.
Just wanted to know what state your in ? ?. The basic principles are the same. Your employer must hold your position for you whilst you are on Maternity Leave and if you request to return to work part time then the employer must provide a adequate reason if he/she can not accommodate that request. The emphasis nowadays is on a flexible, family friendly work environments. If you are a member of a Union I would have a chat to them and get some advice.
Is it a small company - Large company ? ?
Congrats as well hows it all going, any morning sickness or anything yet. I hope all goes well with your pregnancy and you have a healthy happy bundle of joy arrive.
Anyway i am from Qld, the company is a small/medium company a real estate company, I have written a letter to tell him i would like to start part time/casual at the end of my maternity leave and he wrote back to say he could not give me a position at this stage as he doesn't know what is happening, i have left it and not replied as i wanted to see what i do if he does not give me a position. I would assume he would have to pay me a redundancy package or something? I don't know. I am not a memeber of a union!
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