I was employed with a firm for eleven years before having my first baby, everything was fine until I returned then my employer reduced my hours and pay. According to him it was because of a downturn in business but he didn’t seem to care that I do the wages and could see he had given the other (male) employees ( I’m the only female there) pay rises. I took the reductions on the understanding that this was until times got better. Then nearly three years later after returning once again from maternity leave with my second child, my employer told me he was moving me to part time and I would no longer receive my full time holidays etc (my total yearly reductions are now nearly £8000). I fought back this time telling him he couldn’t and that I had spoken to the government body and gave him all the information and legalities they had given me but he stood firm on his decision blaming economic downturn which incidentally didn’t stop him giving himself a five thousand per annum pay rise. I haven’t had a pay rise in ten years now.

Anyway, the employers know they can do whatever they want to us employees because very few people are willing to fight. I could have fought and probably won but what do you do in the meantime? You can’t claim job seekers if you choose to leave your employment! And who’s going to employ someone who says they left their last job and are taking their previous employer to a tribunal? anybody would just think ohhh she’s a trouble maker! And if I chose not to tell my new potential employer about the problems they would wonder why I was leaving where I have worked for the past fourteen years and my current employer would hardly give me a good reference anyway. You’re stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Once my children are older I shall re-train and seek employment elsewhere. But in the meantime it’s just too close to my home to leave which means I can get my kids to school in the mornings and I’m not too far away if they need me.