Anyone's employer not coping with them being back?

[Belfa]

Hi

Granted this is only my second week back at work but I am finding it frustrating and fascinating at the same time that my employer / colleagues seem to be struggling with me being back at work.

Naively I thought that I would have a handover meeting so that my mat cover would hand back to me or there would be something for me to do when I came back considering they knew for months when I was coming back...but no...

I complained that I had no work and was promised the next project that came through the door and thankfully something came through by the end of the week (much to the disgust of a couple of colleagues who fancied it themselves!). I am also supposed to get back my relationships with key suppliers but I have just listened in on a conversation my mat cover was having with one of them and at no point did they say that I was back and that I would be taking over again (granted I was going to call these contacts but was waiting until the MD confirmed with my mat cover that they were to hand everything over which happened this morning).

Anyway, rant aside, I was wondering how others have found settling back in and did you find that it actually took your employer longer to get used to you being back than it took you to get used to actually being back?

 

[Aimee84]

Mine have been ok and kept things ready for when I started back which suited me perfectly. But hearing from friends I think everywhere is completely different. Hope things settle down for you soon x

 

[mummywanabe]

I work in a hospital I think they couldn't care who came back as long as they have an extra pair of hands to help

 

[Taboo917]

I can't believe you're back at work already belfa!!!! Time flies!
My employers were similar - I expected to get straight back into things but it was about 2-3 months before I fully resumed my normal job and like you when I first came back I had nothing to do.

I did do a phased return to work though so I'm not sure if that was part of it (2 weeks at 2 days, 2 weeks at 3 days and then 4 days a week until January). I also think my LM was actually trying to be nice and ease me back into it all it was just slightly misplaced as I would have far rather just to have got stuck in - Caleb still wasn't sleeping great so being sleep deprived and having nothing to do at work was utterly horrific!

For first wee while I was joining calls with my key stakeholders but not leading them and then slowly my cover started to pull back - could you suggest even joining the next calls your mat cover has and then you can almost force the issue by saying your back and will be taking responsibility back?!

xx

 

[littlemonkey]

I had similar, but I think the problem was because I was redeployed into a new job while on maternity leave. They didn't realise when I was coming back and it was all a bit of a shambles sorting out my return to work. All my annual leave, pay etc was wrong for a few months and I'd say that it's only really been this last month every thing is as it should be. I went back to work in November!