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

I did swap my working day for maternity appointments, but that’s because I only work 2 days a week so I did feel bad taking time out them (even though I know legally I still could).
However, in your case where you are working full time, 5 days a week, no, absolutely do not change days.
They sound like a terrible employer.

Would the people saying to swap have every single appointment in the middle of the day on Saturday if available to avoid inconveniencing their work? I doubt it
Everybody I know does that, either at the weekend or after work. If really it has to be during a work day, lunchtime or early morning. Don’t you?

How can your manager be so ill informed? Good grief! Where have they been for the last 16 years?!

Do you mean midwife appointments? How many midwives do you know that work Saturdays for routine antenatal appointments?

In my area the midwife is only available one day of the week anyway. They work in different clinics on the other days.

I may be mistaken but I think the policy in my job is that you make a reasonable effort to make appointments outside of work days and hours, so in your situation I don't think it's unreasonable at all to ask if it's possible. Although if you have other reasons to have that particular day off and if your midwife appointments can't be moved to your normal day off then I think your boss will just have to accept it. Pregnant women have appointments; it's to be expected.

Any job I’ve ever had with fixed days the company has been allowed to change my fixed days to suit the business need whenever they want 🤷‍♀️. Probably if they said they were changing them because of your midwifery appts that would be illegal but if they didn’t say that how can you prove it? Personally I’d change them. You only get about 7 appointments, to be honest it’s not the end of the world for you if you have to go in your own time or for the company if you go in work time…..unless they have to arrange cover for the hour or so you’re away from work which I can see would be a pita.

i tried that with the midwife but she pointed out although it was the law it also goes two ways, she changed her day for me,
if you mw cant change her day i see no reason to get up in arms about it, be reasonable, no point having a fight

This ⬆️

This shouldn’t be happening OP. Get union involvement asap.

I’ve been the member of SLT who was told the third teacher in a small school was pregnant. Did I think “oh no!”? Yes because I am human. But my response was congratulations and covering all her appointments. That’s just how it goes. Schools are still employers and can’t break the law just because it’s inconvenient (quite apart from the morals of it!).

My headteacher did this to me; tried to pressure me to arrange my appointments on my days off.

My pregnancy was consultant led so I used that as an excuse but I wouldn’t have. For one thing, I worked Monday - Wednesday in those days and had then-toddler DS on Thursdays and Fridays. I couldn’t have taken him to my hospital appointments and it would have cost a fortune putting him in nursery to cover it!

Ignoring your original question. But.. with baby 1 I had high BP and soldiered on. Commuting and working. It was almost dangerously high but I was adamant I was ok. I was offered being signed off and didn't take it. Baby 2 - no work and BP perfect. Baby 3 no work and BP perfect.
Get signed off. Look after your and baby's health first. Work isn't worth it. Good luck.

They can ask, and you can say no. I’d be making my appointments either first thing in the morning or at the end of the day though, so either going straight from home, or going straight home after the appointment.

No you shouldn’t have to swap, legally you are allowed time off. I did try to make most of my appointments in the evening but some had to be in work time. Maybe offer to swap the odd week but not all.

Because legally, she's not required to. Employees are entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments (including travel time).

https://www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

Practically, there will be a reason Tuesday's are her days off and she has now built her week around that.

I wouldn’t swap it’s their issue not yours. Your legally allowed paid time off for pregnancy appointments it’s not your fault they fall on your working day.

Is it this company or this particular manager who is being difficult? If it is the manager, I would go over her head to HR or to her manager about her discriminatory comments and about her request and continual harassment of you. I would be checking the written company policy as well.
, on the other hand, the comp is backing her up, then it’s ACAS. Also speak to your union rep, if you have one.

I would have swopped because I liked to earn my money. I know you’re entitled to the time off but I think it’s taking the piss.

It’s not taking the piss, it’s a legal right

I'm having a similar problem. Told work when my midwife appointment was and I was on the rota for a daytime shift. I've now been moved to work the evening shift instead after I've been to the midwife. I queried this as i know I'm entitled to paid time off - I should have been allowed to keep the day shift and be absent for an hour and a half - and they said that as the rota wasn't published to all staff yet, it was allowed. Maybe that is true, but it was due to be published that same day, and I'd already seen and copied down my shifts. But I can't prove it was moved due to the appointment.

Next appointment I won't be telling them until the rota is published. I don't want to be stuck working extra evening shifts due to my pregnancy.

The difference it makes is that it’s a hard won legal right and your thought process erodes this…are you female?

Do you need a tl;dr on a title?

If it's the normal amount of midwife appointments then no, I wouldn't change.

If it was a lot more, then for the sake of good relations I probably would. Assuming I didnt have other commitments on Tuesdays obviously.

Yes I would and I did.

Not an unreasonable request at all.

And if they do it’s a really easy pregnancy discrimination claim.

I didn’t rearrange my non-working day for a compressed working pattern in order to attend my very extensive regular maternity appointments. I’m entitled to the paid time off for them. I have other commitments on my non working day. Say no and speak with HR if it’s pushed.

Nope this is not common in my experience. It wasn’t easy for me to get a MW appointment at the weekend and I was under the care of a big London teaching hospital, and OP won’t be able to do that.