Discrimination during maternity leave
Discussion
They interviewed externally and internally - an external candidate got it, then pulled out. Second choice was an internal candidate (so it was advertised internally somehow, though we don't know how).
Other people could well have gone for it - but the role is directly senior to my wife and one other person, no more (though managing in total 200 odd people), so those two would seem to be natural candidates.
In law I'm fairly well certain now we have a solid case - and as I said earlier the employer has form for exactly this previously.
The moral issue is different - and clearly some of PH feel that it would be immoral to take action. I wonder if they had a baby and several thousand pounds on the table if they would really be quite so moralistic. We'll never know for sure.
I too am about to enter flat-pack furniture hell so see you at IKEA, Breadvan - I don't think their Chingford branch has a croquet lawn though.
Other people could well have gone for it - but the role is directly senior to my wife and one other person, no more (though managing in total 200 odd people), so those two would seem to be natural candidates.
In law I'm fairly well certain now we have a solid case - and as I said earlier the employer has form for exactly this previously.
The moral issue is different - and clearly some of PH feel that it would be immoral to take action. I wonder if they had a baby and several thousand pounds on the table if they would really be quite so moralistic. We'll never know for sure.
I too am about to enter flat-pack furniture hell so see you at IKEA, Breadvan - I don't think their Chingford branch has a croquet lawn though.
To be really clear:
The company did not make any attempt to make her aware.
The external ad would have been handled by an agency anonymously. Only way of her knowing would have been to go into the office and ask around. Difficult with a baby as they forbid babies in the office (yes, honestly - it's policy). I suppose I could have had a day off so she could go in and ask. But I run my own business and don't have the time.
The company did not make any attempt to make her aware.
The external ad would have been handled by an agency anonymously. Only way of her knowing would have been to go into the office and ask around. Difficult with a baby as they forbid babies in the office (yes, honestly - it's policy). I suppose I could have had a day off so she could go in and ask. But I run my own business and don't have the time.
You haven't even read my posts. We've charged it and checked - there was no email. She is on leave. Have you ever looked after a 9 month old baby? It's time consuming - far far more so than work. My wife gave hours and hours of her time to her employer when she was there, such that she is probably still in credit with them. She may well have gone back - this would have meant a big rise and a company car (speaking for myself I'd have encouraged her to go back).
It would be, IMHO, disrespectful of them to not spend 30 seconds making a call telling her an opening had come up.
And with that I am out - I'll update when we have a resolution.
It would be, IMHO, disrespectful of them to not spend 30 seconds making a call telling her an opening had come up.
And with that I am out - I'll update when we have a resolution.
Moulder said:
Maybe you're right. Still, I would think I meet the age qualifications to reply to this thread so how about an answer to my earlier post? If you "run my own business and don't have the time" as a business owner how would you have handled this as the employer? From an impartial perspective if your wife had been your employee would you still be taking the same approach?
Don't have the time to baby sit so she could go in to work to discuss things is what I meant.I'm a lawyer, my business is a law firm, so it may not surprise you that I would try to comply with the law - ie I would tell a woman absent on mat leave about any promotions. I employ a few people with families and I try to accommodate their home lives as much as possible - far more than the law requires of me in fact.
Indeed, BV. Furthermore it's a web forum - I was looking for some (free) advice and knew damn well that, as always with PH, there was a fair risk of people somehow finding my/my wife's actions shameful. I don't give a monkey's though, and shall find some satisfaction in a payout if that is, indeed, what we get.
I would say to one or two on here who claim to be employers or in positions of authority, that they should make sure that their staff don't ever identify them on PH - though I should love to read the transcript of a case in which sexist posts on PH became part of the supporting evidence. Don't think it could happen? Go and read 10 Pence Short's sorry tale.
I would say to one or two on here who claim to be employers or in positions of authority, that they should make sure that their staff don't ever identify them on PH - though I should love to read the transcript of a case in which sexist posts on PH became part of the supporting evidence. Don't think it could happen? Go and read 10 Pence Short's sorry tale.
Lucky that it'd be my wife then, isn't it?
And as to the rest of it, you may need to hone your 'tongue in cheek detector'. I'm well aware of what a likely pay out will look like, and it won't be all that much in the grand scheme of things. But if people are going to call my wife a
, you have to allow me to wind them up a bit. Seems it works too.
And as to the rest of it, you may need to hone your 'tongue in cheek detector'. I'm well aware of what a likely pay out will look like, and it won't be all that much in the grand scheme of things. But if people are going to call my wife a
, you have to allow me to wind them up a bit. Seems it works too.I don't - some of the other remarks have been rather more direct. My wife has read the thread though and feels more justified than ever in going after people who would disadvantage women because they have children. Somewhere out there right now is a manager who is going to get his arse handed to him tomorrow, and he can, in part, thank PH for that.
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