in

England

Work support

Hey, I am looking for advice or maybe just a vent.

I have been on maternity leave for 14 months. I had to leave abruptly due to a risk of infection that could have harmed my baby and left a week early. Before I left work, I was working 3 positions due to staff shortages and alot of my main role as manager was pushed to the side as more important roles took priority. Since being away, an incident has happened which has now "raised concerns" about my work and I have been placed under investigation. However, all raised concerns were either work that I could not finish due to staff shortages, actions that were guided by management above me or things that happened 2+ years ago which are untrue/ exaggerated.

Regardless of this, I have been treated unprofessionally. I have had 2 kit days where I was not informed about the incident and i was told 3 weeks before I started work. From there, I was constantly called/ texted about work/ the investigation by my manager. When I explained to her that I would need her to email me, this was not good enough for her- insisting I call her back when my child was awake from his nap. I was told it was an Informal investigation, to then find out it was a formal disciplinary. I was told I would be going back to work as normal, even setting up a plan for my shift and childcare and, upon chasing them regarding my working hours the day before I return, I was informed 1.5 hours before close that I would not be returning to my role as they need to put some paperwork in place as well as talk about temporary work relocation. None of which was mentioned and even when I had the formal disciplinary, they talked about me coming back to work the following week.

My question is, what are my rights? Has anyone else gone through this?

My partner is supposed to be working half days to collect my son who has never left my side. He has broken his foot and is unable to drive or walk far so I have to collect my son and take him home on my lunch break as I don't want him in nursery full time straight away. If I move to a different site temporarily, I wouldn't be able to do this.
I feel like they are pushing me out/ using me as a Scape goat as I know that they have done this before. I have proof as they have changed the website of the company to say the person currently in my role is manager rather than interim manager and they have promoted in-house for other positions without using maternity cover.
When I spoke to legal advice, they said that it sounded like a fishing exercise and they want someone else to blame.

Has anyone else used pregnant then screwed?

These last few weeks have been soul destroying as I put my heart and soul into that place to be treated like this. I haven't slept and I have been absent from my son as my mind constantly goes to work or im just emotionally exhausted .It's really put a huge dampener on my last few weeks of maternity and I have had to source childcare quickly for meetings. Even celebrating my son's 1st birthday felt tainted.