Employer engaging in potential illegal activity?

bigfeckineejit

Hi all,

I started a new job a month ago, and in a recent meeting with senior management, it was let slip that the reason I was taken on was to replace a lady who's gone on maternity leave and who they won't be inviting back because I will have taken over all of her assignments.

This instantly made me very uneasy, and I should have spoken up at the time to voice my concerns at this. Am I misguided in not wanting to be part of something potentially illegal and immoral, or am I overthinking this? To me, it points to a lack of ethical management within the company. Bearing in mind, this lady has been with them for many years, and I'm a complete noob. I dunno...

Batgurl

What they are planning to do is illegal BUT they have not done anything illegal yet. Maybe they meant they will be offering her alternative work, maybe they suspect she won’t want to return. Regardless of the situation, until they definitively DO something illegal, I would stay out of it.

bigfeckineejit

Very good advice, Batgurl. Thank you!

_Brian

Also the employer is breaking the law here not you.
It’s likely now no matter what that poor woman will be displaced, will you throwing yourself under the bus do her or indeed yourself any good ?? I’d say not.

bigfeckineejit

Also good advice. It's just unsettling that they would mention it to me. It smacks of a bad culture that this information is being thrown around for all to see and hear.

Mrs OBumble

They are not necessarily planning to break the law.

If it is not reasonably practicable for them to allow the person to return their old job, then the company must provide you with suitable alternative work on terms not substantially less favourable than those of the previous job.

As someone just in the door, you are unlikely to be able to judge how reasonable practicable it would be - especially if the employee wants to take their additional maternity leave spread over a period.

Gravelly

They are doing something wrong, not you, so you are under no obligation to say anything.

That said, if the management see this as ok, and casually mention it in front of you, then it would not be a company I would be comfortable working in, as they are likely to screw you over just as easily. I am a senior manager in a mid-sized company, and I would not be comfortable if my company engaged in this kind of behaviour.

bigfeckineejit

Dead right, Gravelly...these were my thoughts exactly.

the_syco

bigfeckineejit wrote: »

it was let slip that the reason I was taken on was to replace a lady who's gone on maternity leave and who they won't be inviting back because I will have taken over all of her assignments.

Consider that they're saying this so that you don't think that the job is a short term gig, one which would fall to the side should a more permanent role appear for you. However, it could be BS just to keep you there until she returns.