Took paternity leave and my boss filled my position

3d ago1 min read

Guys I'm furious. I took 3 months paternity leave after my second was born. Company said it was fine, just take the time. Come back and they've restructured my whole team. Now I'm reporting to someone who was my peer. They say my role is "evolving" but I know this is punishment for taking time off. Have a meeting with HR next week. Should I lawyer up or am I being paranoid? This is a Fortune 500 company too so I thought they'd be better than this.

10 comments167 views

Comments(10)

JJasonRegular2d ago

That's messed up. They told you it was fine and then punished you for actually taking it? I'd be talking to HR and maybe a lawyer about this. Three months isn't even that long for paternity leave.

RRyan M.New Dad3d ago

Man, that's infuriating. Three months isn't even that long and they explicitly said it was fine. You've got every right to be mad about this. Have you thought about what your next move is, or are you still processing the shock?

JJamesRegular3d ago

This is exactly why I was terrified to take my full paternity leave. Did they give you any explanation about why they needed to restructure? Seems like they told you it was cool and then changed the rules once you were gone.

FFrank S.New Dad3d ago

That's rough man, I'm sorry. I was worried about the same thing when I took leave after my second was born. Did they at least offer you a similar role or are they trying to push you out? This feels like something worth documenting and maybe talking to HR about.

MMichaelRegular3d ago

Man that's frustrating. Three months is already not enough time with a newborn. Did they put you in a different role or just straight up eliminate your job? Either way that feels like retaliation.

MMichaelRegular3d ago

That's completely messed up. They literally told you it was fine and then did that? Did you get anything in writing about the paternity leave being protected?

CChris M.Regular3d ago

This happened to a coworker and it was brutal. Check your employee handbook and any written communication you got approving the leave. You might have a case depending on your company size and state laws.

KKyleRegular2d ago

Companies do this and it's garbage. You took the leave you were entitled to and they made you pay for it. Document everything moving forward and start looking at your options.

FFrank M.New Dad2d ago

Dude that's illegal in most states. Did they actually eliminate your position or just give it to someone else? You might have a case here.

KKevin M.New Dad1d ago

Man I'm sorry. That's exactly why I was nervous about taking my full leave but my company actually held my spot. You should talk to HR about this because that sounds like retaliation.