My story didn’t happen while pregnant or on maternity leave, it was when I returned to work and reduced my hours. At first it was going really well, then my manager left. The new manager had an issue with my hours from the moment he joined the team. Every one to one meeting he would ask me to up my hours. I always said it wasn’t that simple, the cost of full time childcare would mean it wouldn’t be financially viable to work at all! I asked why he felt I needed to up my hours, i.e. was I not completing my work to a good enough standard? But he could never give me a concrete answer.
A year after he joined he finally gave me 3 choices, I remain in my role and go full time, I move to a different team and keep my hours or I resign, apparently my role had to be full time due to project work although I have not seen any of these projects happen and they have not yet replaced me. Of course I had to take the role that allowed me to keep my hours but I do not enjoy the work and it’s making me very stressed and affecting my health. I feel like I’m being punished and pushed out but no one can tell me what I’ve done wrong except want to be a mum and keep working, I often wonder if I would be better off giving up and staying at home.