Backstory: I have known I was pregnant since January of this year. I told my employer in March and explained to them that I was due September, but wanted to take an extended leave of absence until January 2023. So I would be gone the last week of September, then all of October, November, and December. This would put my baby at three months which would be the youngest I’m comfortable with sending her to childcare to return to work. My supervisor, her supervisor, and the director said that sounded fine and my HR department okayed the leave. I got a promotion right before my leave and signed a job offer letter that was dated for 1/2/23. So I was leaving for maternity leave as one position and returning at the start of next year as a supervisor.
Fast forward to now: I’m ten days PP on maternity leave. Our new HR person called and said that my leave was approved in error and that if I don’t return after six weeks, I will be terminated. They mentioned I can try to extend my FMLA with approval from my doctor to get 12 weeks. HR said I could start my promotion upon my early return however. But to make matters worse, when I called my supervisor to tell her what HR said, she said they may not be able to even start my promotion by my agreed start date in January, and especially not before then. So now I have to come back early from my planned leave to my old position with no start date for the promotion until more contracts are filled for me to actually start.
None of my leave – including maternity – is paid. So I’m not sure how they can reject my pre approved leave. HR said I can’t take FMLA and a personal leave back to back.
Does this seem insane to anyone else? Should I quit? Or wait until closer to my return date to see if there’s any progress with my promotion? It’s enough of a raise upon starting where my partner could stay home with the baby so I’m tempted to stay but this unprofessional interaction has made me want to quit.
Bosses all said they don’t want to lose me and are sorry this is happening, made sure I knew they were trying. Blah blah blah.