it sounds to me like it makes sense, why would you need them 'in the eyes of the employer'. It should be easy enough to transfer your contacts to another phone. you might get a much better phone or laptop next year. I get that it is annoying but I can't see why an employer would think you'd need them. In fact if you kept them you are much more likely to be disturbed while on leave with calls or emails, which I think is an invasion of privacy. However in some companies being 'out of the loop' can seem like career suicide, so I also understand if you are nervous about perhaps not being kept informed. Is there someone you can trust to keep you up to date subtly?

I reckon HR policies should be something you could request to have printed off and be able to take that home in the event of them removing your access to it, maybe you can just make a list of everything you'd need if they do remove the laptop in the hope someone will just decide it quicker to give you the laptop back? it could be a compromise that you give the phone back but keep the laptop for access to information. Since generally it is phones that run up bills, not laptops.

 

I've a feeling that your company are on dodgy ground here - it sounds like this would make it considerably harder for you to rejoin the company after (giving up contacts etc).

Remember you are entitled to "Stay in touch" with your work throughout your mat leave if you choose. If they take away these tools that makes it considerably harder (ie no access to your emails, company websites etc). Have you mentioned to your boss that you are unhappy with this? (He might think he's doing you a favour?)

 

what does it say in your maternity leave policy? ours stated clearly which benefits we kept and which we did not whilst on maternity leave
suggest you speak to HR as first port of call to see if there is a policy, what that policy states and whether there is any flexibility
hope you get it sorted
Suitcase
x

 

Thanks for your replies.

Goldbunny....it's good to hear what you are saying on this, I appreciate to hear this, from a different side if you know what I mean. I am trying my best to keep open minded on all of this, so it's good to hear what you are saying.

Flying cat, you are right I am entitled to keep in contact from time to time if I want to, hr told me this before.

Suitcase, I don't remember my maternity policy saying anything specific about this, with il check again.

I did call one of the hr women today and she said there was no such policy as such and that she has seen it happen sometimes and sometimes not. I spoke to my colleague in similar position to me who went on a year maternity leave last year and they never took her laptop or mobile away for the year.

It just feels like my boss is making a meal out of this. The effect it's having on me is not great.  My boss has been on dodgy grounds with me all year due to his approach with fertility, pregnancy etc and it hasn't been easy being pregnant under his management, he doesn't understand or have a clue or want to have a clue, and expects business as usual which I am doing my best about but it's so stressful and he doesn't let up on the pressure. He's already changing the team around while I am on leave, all the countries I look after and my customers are going to new people.....I even met the girl he is interviewing today for one of the countries I look after. Feels like such a stab in the back for all the hard work I have done, building my relationships with customers, although he tells me it's because I did such a good job that he needs more people to take on all the opportunities I am working on....... I know I am taking everything personally right now. And I know I have to move on and move away from this corporate life for a while, it's just hard when you have worked so hard to be where you are. At least they guarantee my job back but maybe not my countries or customers, but that's ok if I just get the same role back...legally they have to, so that's ok.

Anyway, cutting off my mobile and laptop....I just feel its not necessary to do this. I live in Switzerland, boss lives in Netherlands. I work from home in Switzerland. He is planing to fly out to see me to pick up phone and laptop. In these days of cost cutting is it really necessary for him to spend 300 euros on travel and flights to actually do this....when a corporate laptop much be not so much for him to buy for new staff anyway. So then when I want to come back to work, he makes it hard for me....I start work 3rd jan 2015 working from home with no laptop set up with all my connections, applications that I used to have, no mobile phone to make contact again that I am working.....what's the point....just let me keep it all, I promise not to use the mobile, it gives me possibilities to keep in touch if I want to be in touch occasionally and makes me still feel part of the company rather than a complete newbie and outsider.....doesn't make me feel like running back to my job really....just making me feel dis illusioned and it just doesn't feel necessary....

Sorry, today has just been a bad day....my last work trip travelling and I spent my flight back home crying, my emotions are just screwed right now, and I guess that doesn't help me think straight or think openly about this, and perhaps I am making a mountain out of a mole hill.....

Anyway next week I will talk to my specific hr guy and discuss this more.... Lets see what happens next.

Thank you for listening and giving me all your advice! Really appreciate it....

AJ x

 

It sounds a bit like you're struggling to contemplate letting go of your work life, which is totally understandable when you have worked in a high-pressure job in the corporate world for 13 years. And learning about all the changes that are going to happen while you are away, and seeing the people that are going to take your place while you're on leave, is bound to make you feel a bit insecure, especially with all the hormones whizzing round. I struggled when I first went on maternity leave at 36 weeks pregnant, after working for the same company for 10 years. Work had been my life for so long that I just felt empty without it and I felt really miserable for a good while. I was checking my email and still working basically until my due date, then it was like something switched inside me and I was able to forget about work and began looking forward to the birth.

My company's policy on phones and laptops was that it was up to your manager's discretion. I had long given up my personal phone as I got fed up of carrying two phones around with me, so I was using my work phone as my personal phone. As it happened, my boss was very understanding and was happy for me to take my laptop and phone (and keep paying the bills) while I was on leave.

Have you talked to your manager about it and explained how it makes you feel? That would be my first step if you've not already done so. Like you say, spending E300 just so he can fly to visit you to collect them in person sounds utterly ridiculous.

 

AJ - I could have written your last post myself.

I haven't worked at my company for as long as you, only 6 yrs but feel that I am being treated exactly the same since they found out I was pregnant. My job involves a lot of travelling and driving around which used to be only 3 days a week and then I worked from home 2 days a week. This has now changed so I am out 5 days a week and I'm finding it really tough. I tend to be driving around 200 miles a day and my days are now jam packed with visits and then when I get home I have all my reports/paperwork to type up so it can often mean I'm working until 8/9pm. My boss just says, this is business needs and tough basically. We don't get any extra pay for the extra hours/work we do in our own time. The way it is at the minute I would seriously consider leaving if it wasn't for me being pregnant. I have a 3 month notice period too so it really isn't worth it.
My boss is a young single male and because I work from home I just don't get the support and he just doesn't understand pregnancy at all. I didn't dare tell him about my ivf etc so had to take holidays and blag doctors appts etc for scans which of course he want happy about

But anyway, enough of me moaning on....

I also have a mobile, laptops, office equipment and company car and my policy states that we are entitled to "all contractual benefits" whilst on maternity leave. My understanding is therefore that you keep all of these things while you are off. How will the company contact you should you choose keeping in touch days or if you choose to do the option of working upto 10 days during your mat leave?

Having said that, I can imagine facing the same dilemma next year when I leave.

Good luck and hope HR are a little more helpful xx

 

Yaya, yes I think you are right it's hard to totally switch my mind now from work to baby when there is no let up with work. The sooner I can get in to maternity leave the better. I think I will switch off after year end and all sales finished for the year. My baby is what we have always wanted so nothing is going to come between us....

Bambibaby, your job sounds so like mine. I hope that you can get through this as well and your boss eases off. Its helpful to know there are several of us going through same thing with boss.

I spoke to my hr and they told me I am allowed to keep my laptop and mobile whilst away on maternity leave and they will write to my boss to tell him this too....so it's great to know i Have their backing...fingers crossed this sorts it out! Keep you posted!

Thanks for all your advice and support on this! AJ x

 

Hi

I'm in a similar position.  My boss stared at me for abt 20mins and said nothing when I told him I was pregnant!  Since then I'd been treated pretty naff.

Best advice I can give is keep a paper trail.  Legally pregnant employees and those on maternity leaves are protected by the same laws.  You have every right to return to your old Poision, as you left it before maternity leave so I would not except less work load.  Any concerns you have I'd put in email (I did) that way when you return to work, if further down the lines your boss says there's no need for your position you can perhaps revert back to those emails which would prove discrimination began due to pregnancy.

KIT days are keeping in touch days, your entitled to 10 throughout Mat leave but the have to be agreed by both employee & employer

Best I can say is keep a paper trail.  I guess my boss twigged to why I emailed every unfair post he put on me, as to why I emailed them, he soon pulled his horns in.  It got to me that much I'm taking maternity leave early very early!!

Lisa x

 

Lisa, it's probably good thing you are taking early maternity leave....gets you out of the stress of all this!

I wanted to just update on what happened with me.....hr stepped in and told boss it's expected I keep my laptop and phone. Boss now not able to do anything about it. So boss has accepted this now thank goodness. So thanks goodness I did speak to hr!

Boss now wants access to my email though through permanent forwards or access to my inbox whole time I am off. I just did another post to ask people what general protocol is on this....

Anyway now I am starting to count down the days till I leave.....on last day of this year it seems now!!