id contact citizens advice if i were u....im sure the only reason an employer cant have ur job there for u when u go back is due to redundancy. if ur job isnt available when u go back, u have the right to be offered a similar position with the same benefits (ie pay, hours, holidays etc). if whats offered to u isnt acceptable, or they cant do it, they cant just sack u, u need to be offered a redundancy package that applies to u.

but, it neednt come to that...u have the right to have ur job, or an equally similar job when u go back. plus, i think if ur out of a job and forced to take redundancy because u were on maternity leave....u might have a case for discrimination. especially if the girl who's covering is accomodated and u arent.

the law should be on ur side, so give them a few weeks to see what they have to offer u, and then go to citizens advice or a solicitor if theyre giving u trouble/hassle.

hth and good luck

Thanks for your replies ladies, i had my chat this morning.  Basically the nursery is not doing so well and they need to make big changes to turn it around.  They have also brought in a rule in which you cant work with your children - so thats me out of the baby room.  All the other rooms have perminant leaders so effectively there is no space for a room leader.  The manager said that she is trying to figure out what my role is and is trying to make me a job.  anyone got any advice on what i should do.?

it may just be a tempary thing while you are off as the cover girl cant manage as well as you did and when you come back your position will be the same then new girl may be in that position until you come back too xxxx good luck and dont be pushed around remember your rights

legally they have to keep your job open for a year, whether you take 9 months or a year as you are entitled to, they have to offer you the same job back again same hours etc as you were doing, they cant demote you as you can sue them, the only way they can get out of giving you your original job back is by redundancy ie there is no longer that position there, which there is obviously, you may find your cover was not as good as you and they felt they needed to replace her without getting wrid of her, if you choose to go back part time they can offer you something similar to you role but would have to pay you the same as you are getting before.  hope this makes sense, they are making my team redundant at work so i am waiting the full 9 months in the hope that the economic climate changes for the better as may not actually have a job to go back too! xxx

I usually work in a nursery as a baby unit leader overseeing three rooms and whilst I am on maternity leave they employed a girl to cover my position.  In the last week they announced some changes which mean that my replacement was kind of demoted and instead of being leader of all the rooms is now the leader of one and they've put another girl in as leader of the larger room and made this girl third in charge.   The thing is I was made third in charge before I left so I'm worried that I've lost this position (as there is already another girl 3rd in charge as well so that would make 3 of us) also effectively my job has gone and been spilt into two, so I'm really worried what will happen to me when I return.  I've got a meeting with the manager tomorrow but i've been really stressing about it all night - I thought i was meant to go back to exactly the same position, so if its gone what happens now???