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Does anyone know your rights when you cannot physically carry on your job during pregnancy?

4 replies

mosschops30 · 05/08/2009 09:50

Because I have come to the conclusion that I cant!

I dont want to be seen as a wimp in work, and I know thats how they already see me, having had 3 weeks off (not all together) on bed rest during the last 6 weeks.

I will not be taking Mat Leave until 35 weeks, and I know they cannot force me to take until 36 weeks.

My job is quite physical, lots of stretching, standing, pushing, pulling, lifting (although can be minimised). I can spend up to 2 hours at a time standing in pretty much one place.
I have had weeks off due to sheer exhaustion, I can manage a week (4 x 10 hr days) but then feel like I need a week to recover.

Do I see my doc about getting a longish sick note or speak to my employer

OP posts:

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mosschops30 · 05/08/2009 10:50

bump ...anyone?

OP posts:

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LoveBeingAMummy · 05/08/2009 10:51

Might be better to post this in employment there are some excellent HR bods who can help I'm sure

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carrielou2007 · 05/08/2009 10:59

Your employer has to do a risk assessment if there are aspects of your job that can affect the health or wellbeing of you or your child.

This involves working with certain chemicals and also includes lifting.

If your employer can not find you suitable duties they have to suspend you on full pay.

I have to carry lots of medical equip with me and I struggel with 4 large 'suitcases' that weigh a ton to protect the equip without being pregnant. my empolyers are struggling to find anyway around this apart from asking me to work in a surgery 40 miles away where the equip can be left there .

It really depends on what your job is, if you worked stacking shelves in a supermarket I think they would need to find you something else but if it were working at a till - they would just need to supply you with a chair. Does that make sense??

Good luck!!

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mosschops30 · 05/08/2009 11:04

thanks LBM will post again over there.

Thanks Carrie, I am an anaesthetic nurse, am still in my supernumery period which means I am always working with someone else anyway, but short of sitting down and just watching them all day Im not sure what else I can do. My manager has been very good including allowing me regular breaks, but again this is not always ideal, if we have a long anaesthetic induction (some can be up to 2 hours) I cannot just walk out for a meal break, its not good for the patient or the person supervising me.