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 know how unions work and I do know that some unions would refuse to take on an active case. But some might.

Awful response.

I can’t say this strongly enough - unions in general will not support members with issues arising before they joined.

Oh had 3 girls working for him all different stages of pregnancy. Another man handed in his notice as he was fed up with having to fill in and cover for them. It was hell. If he had a choice he won’t employ youngish girls or women. Something has to be done it’s not fair on either pregnant women or their employers .
I think you should change your day off to appear to be willing , it will work in your favour , when you need to take extra time for child related issues.

Majority of unions don’t help with any issues unless they’ve been members for 3 months

It doesn't matter what your 'policy' is, the law supersedes that. Reasonable PAID time off is allowed and you are under no obligation to make the time up, take it as annual leave or change your working schedule.

They don’t. The most a new member will get is some initial advice - the content of which is usually down to the discretion of the local rep - but they won’t get full support, representation or legal cover. Many unions also require a minimum qualifying period after joining, before they will provide full support.

Wow. Naked misogyny. Who’d have thought it on MN.

I would be embarrassed to be in a relationship with someone who thought this way. My husband is also an employer and recognises that pregnancy is just part of being an employer, like pensions or sick leave. If you can’t understand that then you shouldn’t be in a management position.

I struggled with this as my work was 45 mins drive from home / GP and so it doubled the day's driving from 90 mins to 3 hours if I went back in the middle of the day so would have considered swapping for that reason but otherwise NO WAY, it is your legal right to time off.

I got no choice in when the appointments were because they stacked them from the start of the day so the midwives could go off on their rounds in the afternoons. It wasn't like e.g. dental appointments where you can choose.

Not to mention relying on one member of staff to cover all three. The fact that he resigned isn’t down to the pregnant women, it’s entirely the fault of a crap employer who clearly doesn’t give a stuff about their employees.

I work part time. In my work we’d be allowed out physically but we’d still have fhe same amount of work to do, so it would make sense to do apt on day off

Good point or you might find they rescind your compressed hours agreement.

Agree.

Yanbu.
Carry on as you are. This isnt legal.

So in other words your employer has structured things so that you have no cover while you’re away, so it’s easier for you (and them) to use your day off.

OP doesn’t work compressed hours. She has Tuesdays off and works Saturdays. And even with compressed hours it would still be illegal, paid time off for appointments is a legal protection.

I would make sure you have a paper trail of all of this. You are absolutely entitled to your midwife appointments and wouldn’t blame you for going off sick. But would also make it clear it’s because of work stress rather than pregnancy stress. As I believe if it pregnancy related they can bring your maternity leave forward if you’re off long term (depending on how far along you are).

No. And record everything, write it down where the messages aren’t in writing

Say you have plans on Tuesdays so can’t swap it.

Join a union.
Speak to them and find out your rights.

Report them.

If they’re going to make your life difficult then you might as well makes theirs difficult too.

Aren't these the laws that Kemi Badenoch wants shot of ?

If it was weekly appointments AND I had no other commitments on my day off I'd consider it. If the appointments are less frequent or I didn't e.g. need to look after an elderly relative/had another DC with no available childcare on Tuesdays/whatever other commitments then nope.

I'd maybe make a concession of asking for either the first or last appointment of the day though rather than missing hours in the middle.

This is a good point - given the way the employer has treated OP so far. They can only BF mat leave under very specific circumstances but I could absolutely see OP falling foul of them if she doesn’t know her rights.

Worth reiterating that if you take time off for a pregnancy related illness within the 4 weeks before your expected week of childbirth, your employer is legally allowed to start your mat leave automatically, so it would start on the day after the first day of absence.

If you’re off sick more than four weeks before your due date, or the illness is unrelated to pregnancy, the employer can’t force you to start your mat leave early, so normal sick leave applies.

Yep.

Indeed.

Depends whether you want to keep and progress in your job or not I guess. Obviously they can’t force you but probably shows you’re not committed.