***WARNING*** working while pregnant

[kat1988]

just wanted to warn you all about what can go wrong and your rights when your working and pregnant, I'm not trying to scare you, 99% of people won't have any problems but I have and I don't want any of you do go through the same thing...

1. make sure you know your rights in terms of maternity leave/pay and changes to your health and safety while pregnant at work, you can find these at direct.gov or through your manager/hr dept
2. I would advise being part of a union anyway but if you feel your rights/ health and safety are not being respected join a union ASAP! I would recommend unite or prospect
3. your safety and that of the baby is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING if you are worried see your midwife/doctor as soon as you can as they can sign you off or write notes instructing your employers to change your working conditions where necessary
4. If you have any problems at work all to your manager, if your problem if with your manager see their manager, if this doesn't work make a grevience (info on direct.gov) if this doesn't work make a complaint to hr/ the most senior person you an contact and get advice from your union/citizens advice
5. make sure if you do have any problems you document EVERYTHING and collect as much evidence as you can
6. don't let others intimidate you, if you feel it's a problem, it's a problem.

I have seen a few questions on here about your rights at work and what to do in certain cases if anyone wants to know anything else or anything specific I do know quite alot in this area feel free to ask, while pregnant the law is Definatley on our side, just make sure you are enforcing your rights!

 

[Kellybean]

Good post.

So many of us pregnant ladies just don't know what our rights are etc...or don't follow them up when being forced to do work that They KNOW isn't right for a pregnant lady.

I have been incredibly lucky, BUT know of many who haven't.

Do your research, it is eye opening.

 

[littlemonkey]

I would deffo recommend visiting direct.gov. I had the eye opening experience of watching my friend at work being mis-treated due to pregnancy which has taught me the valuable lesson of knowing all my rights.

Also don't assume your HR department know the law, I've had HR staff tell me attendence of antenatal appointments in works time was down to managers discretion! Lucky for me my boss's wife had a baby recently so knows what he's on about and is sympathetic.

 

[Mellymoomin06]

Good post. Hope you havent had too big a problems at work and that u have sorted them xxx

 

[kat1988]

I've had my manager bully and intimidate me, undermine my authority (as I'm a supervisor) change my hours, reduce my hours to below my contract, fail to change my working conditions when asked, threaten to sack me in front of staff and customers and most recently she (yes SHE) has tampered with my staff file and contract without my knowledge or permission! I've been signed off with work related stress and am trying to sort it out atm
I wrote this post as I'm quite lucky in that I know my rights and my mum works for a union so is helping me get it sorted, also my midwife and arena e been very understanding, but I know not everyone else is in that position. The law is there for a reason and certain people need to learn to stick to it!

 

[lizsamuel80]

I told my Manager I was pregnant a few days later she wanted to have a meeting and basically asked me to step down because I was also going on a long trip for 10 weeks and would have been back when I reached the 6 month mark. Her exact words were "I would rather this arrangement started tomorrow so I can get a few extra weeks to train a new person before christmas, but that would be a little unfair to you." And also totally against the LAW! Anyway I rang our big boss and she kept interrupting me while I told her the whole meeting so she didn't understand and it made me feel like she didn't care. Anyway I handed in my resignation My doc gave me 2 weeks Stress leave note so that covered my 2 weeks notice

What gets me is when my manager had to hand in my resignation form when she did so she sent a letter explaining her side of the story to the general manger of the company she totally thought she was in the right. She explain word for word what I did. The General manager of the company went into damage mode after that rang me and was offering me all kinds of stuff to get me back at work. I told her that my kids are enjoying me at home, we didn't need the money and I was just at work because I enjoyed it. I doubted that I would come back after mat leave and that left me 8 weeks of work left before I went away and maybe 6-8 weeks after I came back from leave to go on mat leave. So what was the point of going back. Anyway she sent me a GREAT referral letter to keep to give to later potential employers and told me to give her call if I ever wanted to go back after the baby was born.

Unfortunately I lost that baby a week later. Friends and family said I should take them to court but I just thought "why". All it's going to do is create stress and cost me money and I wanted to work on TTC again and enjoy my holiday. However I had heard on the grape vine that my manager had be dealt with. They could not fire her but she got a huge demotion anyway she didn't like it and quit. Last I heard she still has not got a new suitable job thanks to the GM making sure all companies in town know what she did.

 

[Kellybean]

Oh lizsamuel that is dreadful to read. I cannot believe that a woman could be so insensitive towards another woman.

Thank goodness you could afford to leave work though, why would you continue working after being made to feel so small? But it is good that it has been dealt with by the GM! That is a rare read. Would you consider going back now she is no longer there?

Also so sorry to hear about your baby being taken from you so cruelly. And congratulations on your current pregnancy I'm also on team yellow with you, although I have a growth scan in a few days and hoping I don't find out accidentally. Ha ha.

Also where did you go for 10 weeks?

 

[lizsamuel80]

Yeah I remember coming home that day from work absolutely gutted. My blood pressure was through the roof. I was mad and up set. It's in the past now and almost a year on I know I've had a great trip with my family and a very loving and supportive husband and expecting another baby. Last I heard she was still looking for a good job and had to move back with her mum and had to sell her apartment. But that's getting nasty thinking about things that way.

Yeah I would go back there. My manager had no right to do what she did and the company had no knowledge of it until I resigned. I still can't believe she thought she was in the right when she did it. I was amazed when I had my meeting with the GM and she asked what happened in my words then she read me the letter my manager had written explaining and it was word for word. I was amazed she didn't try and cover her bum at all. But as a work place it was great. I enjoyed the work and it got me out of the house having had been a house mum for 6 years. the thing was that pregnancy was a surprise and not planned so when all this happened I was still getting use to the idea of going back to being a house wife. I had 3 days of crying because of the shock. I got use to the idea then left my job then a week later after we had decided 'no this is a great turn our life has taken' we lost it. But here we are planning on having this one then another hopefully about 18 months after.

As for team Yellow lets just say the sonographer was very happy we had said we didn't want to find out before she started because our new baby was not giving away any secrets. LOL!!!! Can't wait to find out in 20 weeks or so.

For our Holiday we went to Canada to spend Christmas with my family then to the US and took the kids to Disneyland, lego land and sea world. Hoping to go again when this bub is 3 so it can go to ski camp. Oh and we had 9 days relaxing in Fiji it was wonderful! But had another MC during the plane trip home so this time we waited a few months before trying again and it stuck

 

[Emamay]

Wow...

I forget sometimes just how awesome my company is...

For starters, I definitely get three months off fully paid, and there's a good chance I can then take a further three months without breaking the bank.
My area manager does risk assessments with me each trimester (which reminds me, need to talk to her about my third now, yay!).
I have 40 minutes break every six hours I work (on my normal ten hour shift, I'd get 30 mins break, now I get a whole hour! Don't even know what to do with it, and usually end up doing paperwork, but that's my choice).
My job role has changed (pub manager for a big chain, and spend 48 hours a week running up and down a bar), and I now go out to other pubs training staff etc, so I can stand up/sit down/stop/start however much I want.
As of three weeks time, my shifts are doubled up over busier periods (lunch times, etc) so I can poodle on at my own pace.
I work what shifts I choose, on which days I choose.
I have enough holiday left, and the okay from my area manager, to start maternity leave five days before EDD, and work 40 hours/30 hours/20 hours a week decreasing, starting from two weeks time, and my last two weeks work only 10 hours a week, all whist still receiving full pay (this is thanks to unused holiday days), so I get as long off after the birth as possible.
The company have started insisting everyone wear certain uniform requirements, all except for me (apron irritates stomach, etc).
I am now banned from cellars, kitchen (cook line anyways, where it gets ridiculously hot), taking deliveries... All I gotta do is be, around...
So many other things I can't even begin to think of...

Then again, we're a massive company, and they know they have to follow the law. Also, they do treat their employees well... I guess I just got real lucky here.

Absolutely though, if there's anything your manager/whoever asks you to do, and you're not comfortable doin it, flat out refuse. What are they gonna do, sack a 7 month pregnant chick for refusing to lift a barrel of beer (you may need to insert your own ridiculous task here.
Then, if they do try and force you out of your job, you can claim constructive dismissal.

I sincerely hope that the majority of employers are more like mine.

 

[littlemonkey]

Wow...

I forget sometimes just how awesome my company is...

For starters, I definitely get three months off fully paid, and there's a good chance I can then take a further three months without breaking the bank.
My area manager does risk assessments with me each trimester (which reminds me, need to talk to her about my third now, yay!).
I have 40 minutes break every six hours I work (on my normal ten hour shift, I'd get 30 mins break, now I get a whole hour! Don't even know what to do with it, and usually end up doing paperwork, but that's my choice).
My job role has changed (pub manager for a big chain, and spend 48 hours a week running up and down a bar), and I now go out to other pubs training staff etc, so I can stand up/sit down/stop/start however much I want.
As of three weeks time, my shifts are doubled up over busier periods (lunch times, etc) so I can poodle on at my own pace.
I work what shifts I choose, on which days I choose.
I have enough holiday left, and the okay from my area manager, to start maternity leave five days before EDD, and work 40 hours/30 hours/20 hours a week decreasing, starting from two weeks time, and my last two weeks work only 10 hours a week, all whist still receiving full pay (this is thanks to unused holiday days), so I get as long off after the birth as possible.
The company have started insisting everyone wear certain uniform requirements, all except for me (apron irritates stomach, etc).
I am now banned from cellars, kitchen (cook line anyways, where it gets ridiculously hot), taking deliveries... All I gotta do is be, around...
So many other things I can't even begin to think of...

Then again, we're a massive company, and they know they have to follow the law. Also, they do treat their employees well... I guess I just got real lucky here.

Absolutely though, if there's anything your manager/whoever asks you to do, and you're not comfortable doin it, flat out refuse. What are they gonna do, sack a 7 month pregnant chick for refusing to lift a barrel of beer (you may need to insert your own ridiculous task here.
Then, if they do try and force you out of your job, you can claim constructive dismissal.

I sincerely hope that the majority of employers are more like mine.

I think sometimes the issue isn't necessarily the company, it's the individuals involved. My company are great in terms of mat pay, leave, rights etc, yet each manager is different, not all of them know the law and policy etc. Some are too stupid or stubborn to seek advice from HR and even then that is assuming the person in HR actually knows what they're talking about! I am fortunate in that my manager is a nice person and has gone out of their way to help me. My previous manager was an abosolute arsehole and did everything they could to make my friends life hell when she was pregnant and this was in the same company!!

 

[Emamay]

I'm not gonna quote all the above again, but, yeah, you bring up a good point.

Luckily for me, my company's personnel department are well clued up, and it would have been... okay... whichever manager I had. On the other hand, the manager I have now has certainly made life a lot easier for me. Definitely a lot easier than it could have been with certain previous managers.

I guess a lot of it's in the luck of the draw.