Do I really have to put up with this at home too?

[harassedandherbug]

Firstly, this is going to be long and possibly a bit confusing for which I apologise in advance!

A bit of back story: I'm 34 wks preg and have spd. I've been on crutches for around 12-14 wks now. I had 4wks signed off, but have been back at work for 3 weeks now with a Fit to Work note the basically involved moving my work station and being flexible. My boss is, quite frankly, an arse. I've had totally inappropriate comments from the moment I told him I was preg (well previously to that also!). He was far from happy about me being off sick, and for wks 3 & 4 I was phoned, text and emailed about work issues and how inconvenient it was for him. In the end I posted on here and phoned ACAS who helped me draft an email.

I'm due to finish in just over 3 wks, but I have no replacement. My boss refused to spend any money advertising and we had two applicants via Job Centre. One will be fine, but he doesn't like her (he actually doesn't like anyone, his words not mine). So he wants me to advertise in local paper. I emailed them to arrange it but was just getting automated responses assuring me they'd get back to me in time for the deadline. I emailed again yesterday asking if we could sort it that day as I don't work on Wednesday's, and received another automated response. I spoke to my boss about it, and also about finishing at 4pm as I had a cold coming and was in a lot of pain with my pelvis which he said was ok. the paper people replied with several options not long before I left, so I forwarded the email to him so he could choose and pay with the credit card. So........ this evening I've received in my home email a blank email from him, basically forwarding on an email from him to the paper chasing up a response at 2pm when I told him and he had info saying that the deadline was 11am, and then a reply from the paper saying they'd sent the info to me at 5.30pm yesterday. I wasn't there at 5.30pm, I'd left early, and the info had already arrived and been forwarded to my boss.

So...... I'm left absolutely fuming that he thinks he can just forward on blank emails to me at home, on my home email and on a day I'm not even meant to be working.

Plus, I've been advised by the mw to go sick or start mat leave early as I'm in pain 24/7, not sleeping and am generally exhausted. I'm also really stressed and tearful about the whole thing, which may be hormones/pain. I have doctors appointment tomorrow evening.

Help, what do I do now?? Many thanks if you've got this far

[hairylights]

If I was in that situation id go off sick. It isn't your problem. And just ignore the email - transfer it to your "Spam" inbox and ignore it.

[ginmakesitallok]

Ignore the e-mail til you're back at work. If you're not working then you shouldn't be dealing with work e-mails. He is an arse, but in the grand scheme of things you'll soon have your lovely baby and be spending time with him/her and your arsey boss won't figure at all.

[flowery]

It sounds as though you need to be signed off sick anyway, and once you do that you probably won't have to go back at all, as if you're off sick with pg-related symptoms at 36 weeks your mat leave will automatically start.

Would your boss ordinarily email you on your day off? If he doe what do you do about it normally?

I would focus on getting signed off and then starting your maternity leave and then leaving your boss to it. Make sure you put an out-of-office message on your email, and notify your boss that you won't be checking it either when off sick or as and when your mat leave starts.

[harassedandherbug]

Thank you for your replies, and I think you're right in that I do need to be signed off. The fact that I have no replacement is purely down to him, I told him I was preg when I was 13wks so he's had ages to sort this. He knows it's not the sort of role you can just walk into, but it's not my problem

I am in work today though, but have docs later and will be getting signed off then. He does have my personal email address because in the past I've done some work from home and then emailed it into him to send out under a work email address (def don't want customers having it), but otherwise he doesn't. I also think that just sending a blank email is rather passive aggressive, and will be telling him so when he gets in....

I've checked my Sent items at work this morning, and it clearly shows the email I forwarded to him at 3.45pm (cc'd to another colleague and flagged high importance). There was another that arrived after I'd left, but it basically repeated the first lot of info.

[hairylights]

On the email issue, are you able to block emails from him (that come in to your personal email address)?

He has no right at all to contact you at home outside of your working hours, when off sick or when on maternity leave for things like this - I would 'mark as spam' and you then simply don't get to see them - and it's him that's been out of order not you.

[myBOYSareBONKERS]

Think you need to change your email address and mobile number, then DO NOT give it to him. Tell him you have changed them as you were getting alot of spam/rude phone calls - then he wont be able to accuse you of ignoring his messages.

Also get an answer-phone for your home line.

The reason for all this..... I think he will be constanly contacting you during mat leave otherwise which is totally unfair and will cause you so much stress.