Lone working during pregnancy.

[Mrsbridge17]

Hi everyone,

I am after a little bit of advice as have googled this and not really getting a clear answer!

I have just discovered that I am expected to work by myself quite often when I’ll be 16/17 weeks pregnant. My company does not have a printed policy on this and nor is it in the maternity policy or the risk assessment for expectant mothers. I have contacted my line manager to be told tough crap basically and my hr team told me to speak to my manager so I feel like I am banging my head against a brick wall!

It looks as if there should be something in place but it isn’t clear what it should be! And I also feel very uncomfortable about it as I work in a travel agency and not every customer is happy and it can also be very busy while you are on your own so I know I am not going to be able to take a break with ease!

Hopefully there will be someone out there with experience in this kind of thing as I’m feeling very deflated. I really thought that the company and my manager would be more understanding but not the case

Thanks for reading

 

[WinterWolf]

I don't know about the UK, but here there is no requirement for someone to be with you if you're pregnant. Your job is very low risk by the sounds of it. If you had a medical condition making it dangerous for you to be alone then they'd have to have you with a buddy. If you don't get your breaks, that's a different story but I think they're within their rights to have you working alone. I don't think it's a very smart policy for them but I don't think it would be illegal. They'll just need to be prepared for the fact that pregnancy is unpredictable and if something happens the shop is going to be empty!

 

[Mrsbridge17]

Hi winterwolf,

I suppose I am just panicking but I do worry that if something goes wrong I’ll not be able to contact any one. There’s been a few times I have had to abandon the store while I go and throw up! It just gives me anxiety

 

[Elven]

I work in a sales type environment and I don't think there's a lot you can really do. It's silly of them to only have one person, as there's no way you can do everything at once and ultimately customer service is likely to suffer from that, but that's their choice and fault. Main issue is really that they need to ensure you can still take the required break(s).

Agree with WinterWolf about the potential unpredictability issue though!

 

[Elven]

I suppose I am just panicking but I do worry that if something goes wrong I’ll not be able to contact any one. There’s been a few times I have had to abandon the store while I go and throw up! It just gives me anxiety

If that happens, it will just need to happen. It's a normal part of pregnancy and they need to be prepared and expect these things to happen. Make sure you have plenty to drink at hand and snacks, and if you're feeling ill and need to leave, that's a priority.

 

[Mrsbridge17]

That’s another thing I am not allowed to eat or drink on the counter and there is no back area to hide it! Just all a bit crap really isn’t it.

 

[WinterWolf]

It's unplesant for you and stupid of them, that's for sure. If you have to run off to vomit, that's what they get for leaving you alone. I'm not surprised you can't eat in the shop though, that is pretty standard at any shop. But they should definitely be making sure you get the right amount of breaks so that you get time to eat.