A dedicated high-flier is worried her maternity cover is trying to take her job
The problem
Newly promoted senior associate Ellen finds out she’s pregnant shortly after scoring a big contract for her architectural firm. Her maternity cover Paula arrives swiftly, and Ellen becomes increasingly paranoid that she is trying to take over her job permanently. When a colleague dies in an accident, Ellen decides to return to work just a few weeks after giving birth. Can an HR intervention allay Ellen’s fears?
The solution
A visible HR presence would have made a big difference to how the maternity cover was handled, says Caroline Griffiths (below), managing director of consultancy Bradfield HR. “Paula started the cover relatively early; there was quite an overlap with Ellen, which caused confusion and added to Ellen’s disquiet,” says Griffiths. “Usually a week or two is enough; most companies wouldn’t hire maternity cover that early.”