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AIBU?

To ask to sit a separate office?

14 replies

MumandBumpuk · 07/12/2017 06:32

I am coming up to 5 weeks pregnant and the dreaded nausea has hit me quite badly already. At work, I sit in quite a small, busy office where everyone insists on slurping on really strong nasty smelling soup throughout the day that stinks the whole office out and seriously set my nausea off
There is another office which is next door to mine which is mostly empty bar one person sitting in it, its more spacious, quiet and without soup smells. Would it be unreasonable of me to ask my manager if I can move office until this nausea passes? Im worried cause she has this "everyone is a team" mentality which is brilliant as we are a young persons drug and alcohol service but if I am going to survive these next however many weeks of trying not to spew my guts up I feel I need a good space.
Plus if i did need to spew my guts up and feel like I potentially might not make it to the toilet on the other side of the bulding I can always heave into a bag in the quiet room next to the quiet office

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Ifailed · 07/12/2017 06:33

No harm in asking, especially if you emphasis it will be temporary.

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Splinterz · 07/12/2017 06:34

You want to tell people at a month pregnant?

Your call, but I personally wouldn't.

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MumandBumpuk · 07/12/2017 06:35

I dont want to tell people but I dont want to throw up all over them either, plus it would only be my manager.

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JennyBlueWren · 07/12/2017 06:46

I told my manager as soon as I knew I was pregnant so she'd know why I might be late in due to sickness.

At worst they can say no.

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2gorgeousboys · 07/12/2017 06:49

One of my team told me on Monday that she was pregnant, she'd only found out a few days before. Obviously we are not broadcasting it around the office but it does mean that I'm more sympathetic if she's in late or has to dash from a meeting as she's feeling sick. It also means I can give her support if the worst does happen.

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MumandBumpuk · 07/12/2017 06:52

Thanks ladies; I'm a student on placement here till May so not even really employed by them so worried they'll end my placement when I'm due to graduate next year! I'll have a word today though

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WasDoingFine · 07/12/2017 06:53

I told my bosses asap which was lucky really as l was really nauseous and it meant they could make reasonable adjustments for me

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GwenStaceyRocks · 07/12/2017 07:01

It's fine to ask. I would take into account that you're asking to disrupt another office. Presumably there is a reason why one person has an office to themselves so explain how you will mitigate any disruption to them if your request is granted.

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SaturdayNightAtTheMovies · 07/12/2017 07:26

I had severe pregnancy sickness. I had no choice but to tell my manager largely because I spent much of my days throwing up. I had reasonable adjustments made to my working day - I didn't do less work, just managed it differently.

I would certainly ask. Seems perfectly reasonable to me.

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MumandBumpuk · 07/12/2017 07:50

Thanks everyone; I'm gonna see how the sickness itself pans out and then I can request reasonable adjustments. For example we have an office space near my home which is usually very quiet meaning I wouldn't need to travel on the train and the smells would be minimal.
I'm thinking about asking to work from there on the days it's really bad

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Kittysparks1 · 07/12/2017 07:57

My sickness was horrendous. I got hg. I had to tell people early I wAs pregnant as I was constantly sick.
A colleague came to work in my office, I explained about smells/sickness. She practically called me a liar, said I was exaggerating things. Instead of eating her lunch in the dining room. She decided to bring her soup into the office. I picked up the bin, swivelled to face her and vomited so hard into the bin whilst maintaining eye contact. She looked horrified. She didn't eat her lunch, didn't do it again either.

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scrabbler3 · 07/12/2017 08:03

Congrats!

Why is the person alone in the office? Do they do confidential HR stuff? Is it because they have health problems? You'd need to stress that it would only be for about 7 weeks and that you'd keep disruption to a minimum. Is home-working a couple of days per week an option?

I don't think that they can end your placement because you're pregnant but I don't know - I'm sure legal/HR knowledge will be forthcoming soon.

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gettingbacktoresearch · 07/12/2017 08:21

Have a word with your placement office at uni too as they will need to do a new risk assessment for you and be on hand to help with placement hours adjustments etc if you need time off

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MumandBumpuk · 07/12/2017 08:25

The person works alone as they do admin kind of stuff; I've had to sit in there a couple of times when the main office has been packed so I'm hoping for the next 6/8 weeks won't be too much of a problem.
We also have an office right near my home which would mean being able to avoid my 40 min commute into work every morning via a rather packed train so that could be another option. I'm going to speak to uni and my manager and hopefully we can reach a solution