Had to Resign from Job as Not Entitled to Maternity Leave

Wondering if anyone else has had this experience. I had just changed jobs (banking industry) and found out I was pregnant, had conceived two weeks into the new job. Bit of a miracle as we had been told we would need assistance to fall pregnant, so unexpected to fall naturally. Told work when I realised I was pregnant at four months. They said I could stay on until the end but would have to resign as I was not entitled to Maternity Leave unless I had been there twelve months.

Couldn't believe it when my job was replaced by two job-share women (one a mother of teenagers and one studying full-time).

Doesn't really seem very fair that a major bank could not have given me at least leave without pay and had something to offer me part time after say six months, I have 17 years banking experience and have a good work ethic. Anyone else have this experience? Seems like discrimination to me!

It is pretty awful. Kelly did a petition recently for a case study for parental/maternity leave. I can't remember the link...kel wanna help me out here!

Will you be needing to go back to work after bubs is born? I know of a few women in the same situation. One of my gf's was pretty much told that her company didn't have a family environment and it would be in her best interest to resign :shock: the rudeness. But unfortunatley big companies seem to get away with this discrimination.

*hugs*
Cailin

Actually just rang the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission and was told that I WAS discriminated against re having to resign at work, they should have offered me leave without pay. I can lodge a complaint re this but my hands are pretty much tied because if I make a complaint then they will probably bad mouth me in a reference situation. I am very angry re this! All I can say is I am never going to work for a bank again!

Hi BettyBlue,

I was in a very similar situation, and I certainly felt ripped off and short changed by the company that I worked for.

I had been working for them for 8 years, as has my DH. They asked him to move interstate, so we did, even though it meant me leaving my role and taking on another role in Darwin. Because Darwin is such a small branch, they could only offer me "block-time contract" work. (This in itself annoyed me, as we moved up at their request, but I couldn't cause a row about it as it is a small branch and I didn't want to make things awkward for DH!)

A month later I fell pregnant. On investigating my terms and conditions it seems that I has given up the right to paid maternity leave as my terms and conditions of employment had changed. My boss (great bloke) was as horrified as I was, so investigated it totally for me, but the company would not make an allowance, even though I had worked for them for 8 years and had always recieved very high ratings in all my appraisals etc etc.

I had a feeling they were discriminating against me, so I did complain to the head office (in Sydney) and they offered me leave without pay. But in the end they had ****ed me off that much I decided to resign so that I could get my hadns on my long service pay & all my accrued holiday pay. So they lost out financially big time in the end, silly buggers!

It is SO frustrating, so I totally empathise with you.........

Thanks for your message Lucy, amazing that in this day and age that companies can get away with this kind of thing. It's as if once you are a "mum" you cease to be a viable employee. In the department where I worked, there were no mothers (in fact, only two out of the eight women there were married or partnered, myself included), and the managers were all fathers but their wives were stay at home mums. They said to me that I would be too busy being a mum to want to work, but surely that's my perogative, isn't it? When I asked about part-time or flexi work after the babe was born (of course, would have to be reemployed to get this) was told that I could probably get work as a teller! Nothing against bank tellers, but I was a Senior Credit Analyst and have been in management positions, was last a teller when 18 and am now 37!

Anyway, have planned to start up as a mortgage broker part time due to the flexibility of working from home. I have another 11 months to take the bank to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission, where they have said I definately have a case, so I will think about this and if I feel it will not affect my career adversily maybe I will "stick it up them" and cause a fuss.

BTW, your pictures of Olivia are gorgeous, love the site. Hope all is well. I am now 5 days overdue so feeling this babe is never going to arrive!

I had only been in my job about a month or so when I found out that i was already 3 months and I told work and they said the exact same thing. Now every since, I have only worked once every fortnight. I haven't worked since the 16th of Oct. :smt013

Dear Bettyblue;

As a lawyer, I suggest that you get a good lawyer and some proper advice.

There have been a number of cases recently about pregnancy and workplace bullying/forcing resignations.

A good lawyer in your area should be able to give you an idea whether or not you can "stick it up them!"

Good luck.

Divvy

BettyBlue, just thought I would tell you that it is actually illegal to badmouth a former employee when asked for a reference. you dont even have to use them as a reference, when going for a new job, just say you left on bad terms, you fell pregnant and they forced you to resign. Most companies would accept that and not ask the past employer for a reference. good luck, they make it hard don't they!!