Expert’s Advice

Question:

I have returned to work from my maternity leave with the same job title, pay and terms and conditions but some of my responsibilities have been given to other employees. What can I do? – Aisha

Dear Aisha,

When an employee embarks on maternity leave, a company takes steps to fill the attendant vacuum caused by the employee’s absence. This could involve employing a temporary staff or reassigning the responsibilities of the employee to others.

Returning to work to find out that some of your responsibilities have been given to other employees shouldn’t be an issue. Even if you feel the scope of your new workload has reduced, I don’t think that should be a cause for you to worry yet.  A reduced workload may be beneficial to you as it helps ease your transition back to work and help you adjust to the new demands of working and taking care of your baby. What I would advise is that you:

1. Plan: If you haven’t done so already, it is a good time to do some career planning or review your career plan. What are your mid-long term career goals and how well are you currently positioned for this? What competencies do you need to develop and what should you be focused on?

• Engage: Engage your line manager and or your HR Representative (depending on how your company is structured) to get some clarity on what the focus of your job should be. This may be a good time to agree to performance contracts for the performance review period and discuss what support you will need.

• Connect: Connect with other employees In the organisation to learn about the key milestones/activities that have taken place in the business while you were away.

• Add Value: Seek ways to add value to your line manager and the organisation at large

I hope the above tips are helpful and I wish you success in this next phase of your career,

Regards,

HR Doctor.