Ahh I just typed out this whole complicated situation and the internet connection failed when I tried to post 
try again....
So I work for the NHS in quite a rare specialism. At the moment I am the only person seeing these patients, and as I only completed my post grad in July I'm supposed to be working with access to supervision and with less complex cases. The woman suppposed to be supervising me is off work due to a family bereavement and the other woman has been on maternity leave for the last year. As a result I have been bouncing certain referrals back to my boss saying that I am not competent to take on a case. There is a clause in my contract saying its my own responsibility to manage my competency (basically if i see someone and make a mistake, its my neck on the line, not management). I think as a result they have had complaints, I know certain patients have said they will complain and I have merrily given them the procedure, we desparately need more funding.
I only work 18.5 hours because this is all that they can fund, although I have repeatedly told management I would hapily take up more hours to full time if opportunity came up. Well surprise surprise, now that I am pregnant, 2 more days are likely to become available. My boss had an informal chat with me today about it and said that she is going to try and see if HR can just transfer the hours to me without advertising internally etc... (noone else is qualified internally anyway)
So my dilema is, if I took the hours, when I go on mat leave, there may be a very limited service again, and no funding because out mat leave policy entitles me to 2 months full pay and 4 more months on half pay. They cannot fund additional staff when people are on mat or sick leave, everyone else just has to pick up the pieces
So my head is spinning, do I take the hours, and delay announcing my pregnancy (although obviously still in legal requirements) then when I return to work apply to reduce myhours back to 18.5 again. Or do I tell my boss that Im pregnant and see if she wants me to do the extra work for the next 6 months.
Also if they don't offer me the hours BECAUSE Im pregnant, is that legal??
What would you do?
try again....So I work for the NHS in quite a rare specialism. At the moment I am the only person seeing these patients, and as I only completed my post grad in July I'm supposed to be working with access to supervision and with less complex cases. The woman suppposed to be supervising me is off work due to a family bereavement and the other woman has been on maternity leave for the last year. As a result I have been bouncing certain referrals back to my boss saying that I am not competent to take on a case. There is a clause in my contract saying its my own responsibility to manage my competency (basically if i see someone and make a mistake, its my neck on the line, not management). I think as a result they have had complaints, I know certain patients have said they will complain and I have merrily given them the procedure, we desparately need more funding.
I only work 18.5 hours because this is all that they can fund, although I have repeatedly told management I would hapily take up more hours to full time if opportunity came up. Well surprise surprise, now that I am pregnant, 2 more days are likely to become available. My boss had an informal chat with me today about it and said that she is going to try and see if HR can just transfer the hours to me without advertising internally etc... (noone else is qualified internally anyway)
So my dilema is, if I took the hours, when I go on mat leave, there may be a very limited service again, and no funding because out mat leave policy entitles me to 2 months full pay and 4 more months on half pay. They cannot fund additional staff when people are on mat or sick leave, everyone else just has to pick up the pieces
So my head is spinning, do I take the hours, and delay announcing my pregnancy (although obviously still in legal requirements) then when I return to work apply to reduce myhours back to 18.5 again. Or do I tell my boss that Im pregnant and see if she wants me to do the extra work for the next 6 months.
Also if they don't offer me the hours BECAUSE Im pregnant, is that legal??
What would you do?
