If you worked full time and had Tuesdays off, but was pregnant and your midwife appointments are always on a wed, and your boss wanted to swap your day off to wed because of this, would you ?

[Getmystuffsorted]

Or is that illegal to even ask

thats the only day the midwife is at that drs surgery so all routine check ups would be on wed

Get signed off if you can for the rest of your pregnancy if they are making things difficult and an atmosphere at work.

My job have done similar. I'm 23 weeks pregnant. I had really bad sickness at first I was off a lot. I've also had 3 lots of back surgery in my life and since 17 weeks my back has been really painful. I'm a TA. I'm now having swelling in my feet. I was off for a week and when I came back I'm now a 1:1 with a high needs SEN child. So pregnant, back back and swollen feet every day and they give me a very physical and active job.

Before I found out I was pregnant back in October 25 my sister was told she had 4 weeks to live as a result of stage 4 pancreatic cancer which has spread to the liver and abdomen. Then my home was flooded as upstairs flat had a fire and the sprinkler system flooded my flat we had to move. I had several weeks off due to stress and spending time with my very sick sister. (She's still fighting strong). Anyways when I told my boss I was pregnant I got a 'ooooo isn't your life a bit chaotic right now'

Pretty over my job right now.

This exactly
do not swop your days off

there’s lots of info in the ACAS page on this too but legally you can have time off - paid for appointments so no I wouldn’t it’s maternity discrimination

No I wouldn’t swap my day. Legalities aside it wouldn’t even be that easy, I don’t work Tuesdays because that’s the day my DS isn’t in nursery so it’s not even possible for me to take another day. Also seems a huge faff just for midwife appointments which aren’t even that often? Both my pregnancies have been high risk and I haven’t seen the midwife that often, just the doctor and that’s always been on random days of the week.

It depends on how well I liked my job and how well I was treated in general and also what I was doing on the Tuesday to be honest .given the midwife only works on a Wednesday the answer is probably not

100% this. Everything in writing.

Absolutely no way would I be swapping. People need to realise that you get paid less for being part time, it’s not your employer doing you a favour, so no, you shouldn’t be treated less favourably then full time employees and are entitled to the same amount of time off for appointments.

I’m part time (3 days) and all my appointments fall on my working days, that’s just how it is, not really possible to rearrange as it would mean travelling to a different clinic miles away.

Actually it’s better because I wouldn’t have childcare for my eldest on my non working day, so my scans etc. need to be in work time to allow this.

Just wait till you’ve had the baby, they will love you wanting time off when he/she is ill.

Seriously , if they’re difficult now, plan to leave, it will get worse.

Some great advice on this thread (I agree, don't swap your day off!! You need two rest days a week with no appointment obligations).

I suggest writing a review on the website Glassdoor so that prospective employees can see what a horrible place it is to work if you're a pregnant woman. It might be cathartic as well 😊

Are they aware you have rights and dumb comments can gp towards a complaint.
Any medical.appointment you take is up to you
Anymore comments pkease use thats unprofessional response...morons.

This.

"Please can you just confirm the request, the reasons and the challenges in an email to allow me to properly consider".

They won't and they'll stop because they know they can't document what they're doing to you.

Maybe just women’s rights, equality, equity, the things we’ve been fighting for for years.

If you don’t see the deeper connections, you’re rather dim.

No
I’ve spent my life watching men slip out for golf and haircuts. Legally, they need to make an allowance for any maternity appointments (which may ultimately also occur on other days). Presumably you’re not going to the midwife weekly?!

Yes, I was wondering how Monday-Friday people would feel about working a Saturday to facilitate midwife appointments during the week.

But they don't need to. They're legally entitled to the time off to attend the appointments, regardless of how often they occur.

Is it bullying though?

If it saved my sanity and I wanted to go back to that employment, I would be flexible, why wouldn't I be?

I worked part time, 2 days a week.
The midwife only worked on one of my work days - my work had no choice but to honour it. It's the law.

I would only cooperate with this if I really liked my employer/ team and cared a lot about making their lives easier.

There could be other reasons why you need Tuesday as your day off.

You are entitled to time off for appointments.

As someone else has said ask for everything in writing. Keep notes.

But that's exactly my point - why should the OP need to swap her day off? Some. Posters were suggesting that was no big deal but I was asking how they would feel about doing the same if it meant working at the weekend. The fact that the OP already works Saturdays is neither here nor there.

I think because from what OP says about the way pregnant workers are treated at her workplace giving in to them over this issue will not make things any better for her. Or for other employees who are pregnant.

No doubt if OP surrenders her rights in this matter then she will be expected to surrender her rights in other matters because she would be indicating her employer has carte blanche not to abide by the law.

I agree with the pp who advise contacting ACAS.

I'm part time and did sometimes accommodate pregnancy appts by swapping nwds around although I know under no obligation to do so. But I was working 3 days a week so still had plenty of down time. But in your case I certainly wouldn't, as you'd be leaving your self with only 1 rest day a week if you work Saturdays.

If you worked mon to Fri no one would question you taking time off for midwife appt in the week. You need to ensure your days off are for you, not to go to medical appts

My company paid be full pay for nine months during each pregnancy, arranged competent cover to manage my team and worked well with me on phases returns each time, going beyond what’s required, to make it work well for me.

I’d have been happy to shift things round a bit to accommodate.

Had they done the bare minimum, and done that grudgingly, I’d not have.

This.
Please do not swap your days off OP. Your employer clearly has total disregard for employment law. You have a right to be able to attend antenatal appointments during your working rota.

Exactly this.

If they make things difficult for you op, ring ACAS and then quote whatever they say.

I had an issue where i had Wednesdays off but my pregnancy growth scans were always on a Monday. My boss once asked me if i would work later to make up for the time, clearly not knowing it was illegal to ask me to do that. I think sometimes it’s also a case of managers not receiving enough training around these policies. I had several more issues and eventually contacted HR, and they apologised.