Write again quoting laws and giving the date and time lapsed since tour last letter. Perhaps mention in the letter that you'd rather not have to get legal help but you will if it is necessary and also give them links to websites that advise on risk assessments. Although it is their legal responsibility it is also your responsibility to help with it. In your letter state the issues that you are aware need to be addressed. Perhaps you need more suitable seating or a footrest so you are positioned properly. If you ask for your hours to be reduced you can't be paid for them. You can ask if they can change your hours so you have more shifts that are shorter but I think it is up to them whether this is doable. I'm not sure why you think you will be signed off - if you let us know specifically we could maybe help more. Her is the letter i sent to my employer in case it helps any. It is not as professionally phrased as I would like as I was very bitter about my lack of access to our shared office!:
Further to our conversation of the week beginning the 8th October, I am writing to inform the school that I am pregnant. My due date is the 26th April 2008. It is my provisional intention to commence maternity leave on Monday 7th of April and to return to work from Monday 30th June. I would like to discuss maternity leave and maternity pay with the bursar before confirming my decision.
I request that the school performs a risk assessment of my job as I have concerns.
Other than the staff room, there is no seating available to me at all in the school day. The school informed class teachers that they should be present during my lessons, therefore there is no seating for me when teaching.
Although I am fortunate to have shared use of an office for storage, I am unable to work in it and I am usually without convenient place to work for hours each day. As I was suffering from extreme fatigue last term, if (name of collegue) was not in the office I would work in it. This did not happen often and whenever (collegue) returned to the office I would finish what I was doing to return the office to him, always within 15 minutes. Throughout the term however, I displaced (collegue) for around an hour. He has informed me that this arrangement is not working and other arrangements must be made.
I understand there is a lack of space in the school and I have been accommodating of this since starting at (name of school). However, I would love to have somewhere to work with a desk and a computer that is available when I am not teaching. This would allow me to be a more effective classroom practitioner as I believe fatigue is impacting my work.
Some things to remember: They can't force you on to maternity leave until 36 weeks. You can go on maternity leave from 29 weeks if you want. They will have to pay you SMP based on your income from weeks 18 to 25 (which is now I think
). SMP is around £400 a month so you may need to keep working to save so you can afford to take that time off.
