Can teachers work from home after 28weeks?

[786Smiles]

Hello,

I am a secondary school teacher in a London school. In my recent midwife appointment my midwife said that I should be working from home from 28week onwards. She said it was government guidance.

I wanted to know if any other teachers were give permission to wfh. Social distancing in schools is difficult. The risk with this new variant is high. I have sought advice from my union who also confirmed that pregnant women should be wfh from 28weeks.

I would be grateful if anyone had any experience or insight on this topic

Thanks

Tell your headteacher in a formal email. Also ask him for a risk assessment if you have to be in. We’re only doing occasional supervision days. Are you in full time? Primary?

@Cherrysoup
Hi thanks for the reply. I’m a full time secondary school teacher. I’ve noticed other pregnant women still at school even after 28weeks. I’m assuming the school doesn’t allow wfh. I know that other schools have.

I would speak to your HT and also to your union to get up to date advice.

I think it’s mainly for frontline NHS staff who are off at 28 weeks per guidance.

Have a look at the NASUWT guidelines as a starting point. I don’t think unless you have an underlying condition that you will automatically work from home. However, you need an up to date risk assessment.

Mental well being as well as personal safety is just as important, so if you feel safer (and who wouldn’t!) WFH then I’d push for that.

At our school they are working from home for the third trimester.

Thanks to everyone for their replies

@Ostryga I’ve been in touch with the NEU and they’ve confirmed that their position is that all pregnant women should be wfh 28 weeks onwards.

Definitely a cause of anxiety as I’ve had miscarriages in the past.

I’ll just see what my school decides.

I think it’s mainly for frontline NHS staff who are off at 28 weeks per guidance

I have friends in customer facing roles (non medical/non NHS) who are all working from home or off on full pay from 28 weeks.

It's not in the schools' guidance that you should; however a paragraph was recently added about how pregnant women from 28 weeks are at greater risk and this should be considered. Suitably vague!

I'm in primary and was wfh from 28 weeks as school felt social distancing was not possible.

You might want to read this and be ready to dicuss it with your line manager/ head (whoever is doing the risk assessment). It's not specific to teaching

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

The advice from our LA HR iabthat pregnant women should wfh after 28 weeks (although not mandatory) and that's what we're asking staff to do. We are lovely employers though, I know not all schools are doing it.

I'm confused. Schools are closed. You absolutely shouldn't be on the rota for vulnerable or key worker children. Aren't there enough staff members to do this without asking vulnerable staff? I'm 35 weeks and working from home (once lockdown was announced) was never a question.

@Perfect28

I'm confused. Schools are closed. You absolutely shouldn't be on the rota for vulnerable or key worker children. Aren't there enough staff members to do this without asking vulnerable staff? I'm 35 weeks and working from home (once lockdown was announced) was never a question.

schools are closed!!! We have had 2 wfh from 28 weeks.

Laughing at the “schools are closed” comment.

Teachers at my school have been allowed to wfh at 28 weeks.

Yep allowed to work from home after 28 week in my secondary! Head didn't even question it.

OK should I say, schools are closed to most. Unless on a rota, staff should be working from home anyway. The school buildings, are in the main, closed. If you are being asked to turn up to school and sit in an empty classroom to teach online then why can't you do that from home? And vulnerable staff shouldn't be on the cover rota for the children that need to be in. What is funny about this? Is this not the case in your secondaries? If not, what is going on?

I was required to work in a primary this January late in my third trimester.

Yes you should definitely be working from home.
Several teachers at my school have done from 28 weeks. Talk to your union if your school refuse.
If you aren't in a union, join one. Right now.

All the staff in my school have been taken out of the classroom at 28 weeks. A couple have done small group work, others have been doing admin/other tasks and haven’t been with students at all. I think it depends on their individual risk assessments. Maybe one has worked from home? But they’ve all had a risk assessment at 28 weeks and their working situation adjusted accordingly.

Also this was prior to the current lockdown anyway. They all went on maternity before it happened and all the teachers are working from home at the mo and TAs are delivering the learning in schools and we don’t have any pregnant TAs except for one (early days though) and she has no pupil contact at all.

The guidance on this has changed so many times since last year. If possible the advice is now to wfh or in a well ventilated, well distanced room.

I'm a primary teacher. 20 weeks now. My head was great and told me he wasn't putting me on the CW rotas as it wasn't worth the risk. I fully expect to be working from home from 28wks but I'm not sure what I will do. Luckily I'm a subject lead as well as a class teacher so should have Lenny to keep me busy.

Plenty*

Rota, all staff are in at our school as half the school is in. However , I do believe that you should be working from home from 28 weeks as not safe currently. I’m currently pregnant myself but only in second trimester , nervous about the third trimester but will just have to see what the situation is when I get there.