Maternity rights advice/help?

[louiseplusditi]

I recently started a part time job in early August (I think) I didn't find out right at the start that I was pregnant so when I did I was nervous to tell my employer...when I emailed the boss to tell her she said it was fine and didn't ask me anything...until last week! She came to inspect my work and asked how I was getting in - I had recently been in hospital due to my asthma getting worse - to which I said I was okay and she asked how many weeks I was and I told her 25. Then when she was inspecting my work she was picking up on anything and everything - things that I have never been told to do before so wasn't aware I had to do them; she said the owner of the building won't be happy and he will start asking for people to be replaced.

That night around midnight she sent an email to say I must meet her this week to discuss laws around maternity and what she found when she inspected my work.

My partner also works there with me on a self employed basis and weeks ago I told my employer I needed a certain date off because I had to go to a hospital appointment that leaves me unable to drive and my partner was going away to see family which he RARELY sees! Today she emailed me saying we can't both have the same time off cos we work together!

Also I was supposed to of been paid this morning and the wage isn't right, she doesn't send my wage slips as often and she is supposed to.

I have asked for all my wage slips this month so then I can check, but with the way she is being it's almost like she is trying to find reasons for me not to work there.

Does anyone know what rights I have when it comes to maternity?

[SarahOoo]

It depends what rights you are looking for? Generally you cannot be discriminated against for being pregnant but if work performance is poor or lacking she has every right to take this up with you regardless of being pregnant or not. Your best bet is to go to the meeting and see what she says, take notes in and stand strong on the things she picked up on that you weren't instructed to do before.

I work in HR for a company that advises on employment law and so thankfully they practice what they preach but if my job performance was lacking I would fully expect to have my manager talk with me on it.

Your boss probably wants to talk to you about paid time off and your maternity leave and pay. She may then want to have an informal chat with you about the things she saw the other day. When she discusses the work stuff just deal with it as though you are not pregnant and keep your level head.

If anything negative comes up where you think you are being discriminated against due to your pregnancy then please come back on here and let us know.

In regards to your husband being self employed, the best thing you can do is to book your leave first, get that authorised and them him say he can't work on the same day afterwards. As he is self employed he does not have to ask for time off and can just inform of his availability.

[louiseplusditi]

Thanks Sarah.

I am meeting her on Wednesday so will let you know what happens.

I agree with what you say about my performance lacking, however when I started I never had even met my employers/boss, she told me where to go and to meet the supervisor there who was incredibly shy and young, she showed me what to do in one area of the building...the things the boss picked up on was things I was never aware I had to do; since she told me about them I've been doing them but feel like she was picking on anything she could find, the supervisor doesn't work there anymore and don't want to go into the meeting and the boss think I'm being bitchy by saying the supervisor didn't show me these things so not sure how to mention this.

The other area I am expected to work in I have never been shown what to do, so I just do the things I think has to be done.

It just frustrates me because they are complaining at me about things I have never been told to do, if they had told me and I didn't do it then I get why she complains.

That's also good advice about what my partner should do.

Thank you again xx

[SarahOoo]

What kind of work do you do?

Ensure you explain it clearly and confidently that those tasks have never been apart of your role. You can further help your side by stating that you've been doing the role for 3 months now so why is this now being added to your tasks/not been raised prior to now?

That should knock the wind out of her sails!

Best of luck!

[louiseplusditi]

I clean offices.
My boyfriend used to work in the main building and then she got us to work together, she then asked us to do some stairs (which were MASSIVE, there are about 6 floors on each side so 12 floors) and when I asked why things are being added now and that we already have plenty to do she said she didn't like what I was saying and that cos we work together it should take less time.

[louiseplusditi]

I only met the boss for the first time about 2 or 3 weeks ago.

We don't mind doing the things she has showed us but I would like to know once and for all what's expected because I get a bit upset when she emails me saying she wants to talk cos she isn't happy? I have never been told to do these particular jobs and feel that my supervisor at the time didn't show me properly, maybe I should of thought to do them but to be honest it's the kind of things you don't think about!

One being the back of monitors - sometimes you have to move the screen to do it and the supervisor told me you don't touch there stuff! So it's like I am being told different things

[SarahOoo]

Make a list of exactly what you have been told to do and then add on that your supervisor has specifically told you not to do behind the monitors. Also state that you are of course very happy to do what is required in your contracted hours so you look forward to the meeting. Just to show you're not nervous as many bosses can take advantage of this!

[louiseplusditi]

Thank you so much for your help, I am just terrified she's looking for a reason to get rid of me cos she didn't realise how far into pregnancy I am.

[SarahOoo]

She'd be a complete fool if she did try. I'm pretty confident that she knows the risks of that so try to stay calm 😊 (But come back on the thread if anything dodgy comes about!)