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AITA for Not Engaging with Work During the Final Weeks of My Maternity Leave? In a recent family business dispute, an employee on maternity leave has clashed with her cousin and other relatives. After spending seven months away from work, she decided to stop answering work calls two weeks ago. Her goal was to fully enjoy her time off and recharge before returning to the office.
During her leave, she had already stepped in to handle emergencies and unexpected client issues, trying to balance her personal time with her work responsibilities. But as her leave came to an end, she chose to disconnect completely from work communications. This decision led to strong criticism from her cousin, who owns the business.
The cousin was upset when the employee’s absence led to losing a major client. The client’s contract renewal, which the employee was in charge of, was at risk because of her unavailability. The cousin felt that the employee should have stayed reachable to avoid such problems.
Family members are split in their opinions. Some think the employee was selfish and didn’t do her job, while others believe she should have remained available to prevent issues. The employee, however, stands firm.
She feels she has every right to enjoy her leave and that her cousin should manage the business without relying on her. She also emphasizes that she had carefully prepared her team before leaving, transferring responsibilities and briefing her colleagues well in advance.
This situation highlights the tricky balance between keeping up with work duties and respecting personal time off, especially in a family-run business. It raises important questions about what is fair to expect from employees on maternity leave and how to handle the complexities of working with family.
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AITA for Not Engaging with Work During the Final Weeks of My Maternity Leave?
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In a family-run business, an employee on maternity leave faced criticism from her cousin and other relatives after she chose to disconnect from work communications two weeks before her return.
Having handled emergencies and client issues during her leave, she aimed to fully enjoy her time off and recharge.
Her absence, however, led to the loss of a key client whose contract she was managing.
This triggered frustration from her cousin, who felt she should have stayed available.
Family opinions are divided, with some seeing her as selfish and others supporting her right to a full break.
The situation highlights the challenge of balancing professional responsibilities with personal time off, especially within a family business.
Let’s swiftly assess a handful of the top comments: AITA for Not Engaging with Work During the Final Weeks of My Maternity Leave?
NTA you are on leave on leave means you are not working if things crumble because you’re not there that’s your cousin’s issue it’s his business and it is his responsibility to make sure things are running smooth regardless of who is or isn’t there.
Info: isn’t it illegal in the UK for employers to contact you whilst on maternity?? I know it is illegal that they cannot ask when you’re coming back.
I’ve responded that if my cousin can’t run his own business without me, then he’s incompetent and shouldn’t be in charge of an omelette, let alone a company.
You just made an argument for you being fired. If he doesn’t need you to run his business, why is he paying you?
ESH. He’s right that you should have given him a heads up that you wouldn’t be reachable. And your family is right that you may not have a job to come back to if your role is vital to the company.
…accused me of taking advantage of him because he’s my cousin, as anyone else would have fired me over this.
No, quite the opposite. When my wife was on maternity leave, the company made sure to shut down her email and turn off her access to the network. They were not allowed to contact her about work as that is against the law. You answering any questions during the leave was a favor to him. You can actually sue but I assume you’re not going to do that because it’s family.
NTA, they should learn the law. Not sure how long the FMLA extends to in your state, but the first couple of favors probably were breaking the law.
Omg the audacity of this man. Maternity leave means you take time off AWAY from the job. In my country once someone goes on maternity leave they are uncontactable and it’s not an option to call them to ask them favours or even advice. Nta
