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 wouldn’t swap.
Only reason I would is if it was easier for you to get to the appointment from home, meaning there was less commuting and faffing around.

All I said was I’d make my appointments on my day off instead of during working time.

I know it’s a legal right, but if possible I always made any appointments when I wasn’t at work.

Your employer sounds awful. Record her next time! You're absolutely entitled to take paid time off for appointments. Do not swap your days!

I said I’d make medical appointments when I wasn’t at work. If possible.

Most people would arrange their appointments especially regular ones on their days off if they can or have to take a half days holiday to do so. You’re being difficult on purpose. Just swap the day.

No I don't. But I work part-time and I organise appointments in my non-working time.

But where you can't choose when the appointment is, then it's tough and they have to be on that day or at that time.

I do swap things round at times if I need to work outside my normal hours and I don't think its unreasonable for an employer to ask. But it's totally unreasonable for them to get stroppy if you say no.

It’s not. It’s my opinion. It’s what I used to do.

I work compressed hours and have Thursdays off. If I do have appointments on any other days I use work time.

And that's absolutely your choice but to express it's taking the piss to do otherwise is quite frankly ridiculous.

What does your contract say about your working pattern?

No no, her employer is being difficult and what they are suggesting is illegal.

What is the question? Your employer wants to help you attend your midwife appointments which are also helpful to you. Why you are not helpful to yourself then

I'm a teacher so I did everything to try to get appointments out of school hours as I recognised how hard it was for the school and kids for me to disappear. I know I didn't have to do this but I did it out of courtesy.
Your workplace sounds horrible though, so do what you want. I can understand their frustration but it's not really your problem.

Nether is it illegal for the manager to ask

You said "i like to earn my money "

So do you take Sick pay or maternity pay?

They are not allowed to ask this. You can try to, they cannot ask you to.

https://maternityaction.org.uk/advice/time-off-for-antenatal-care/#:~:text=You%20should%20not%20be%20asked,may%20be%20considered%20pregnancy%20discrimination.

I think the employee’s response to a request like this should be proportionate to the way the request is made. If it’s a reasonably termed request to see if it’s possible and convenient for the employee to have the appointment in their own time, and they are willing, then that’s their own choice. But IME experience, much of the time, that doesn’t happen. As with OP, employers try to sidestep their responsibilities and either use bullying tactics or manipulation to get the employee to comply. And to be honest some of the replies here, including your own, echo that - intimating that OP isn’t a team player or isn’t committed to the job if she doesn’t do what the employer wants. Which is exactly why the protections were introduced in the first place. This isn’t about entitlement, it’s about the fair application of the law.

The key line is in the link you attached

If you are an employee, you have the right to take reasonable time off for your antenatal appointments

There’s no definition for “reasonable” so different managers may approach that differently, but you legally can ask and sometimes people may compromise but sometimes it’s not possible and that’s okay, but they are allowed to ask.

My experience was that I took time off paid but still needed to get the work done so I worked extra hours to fit it in. Not ideal but the reality in many workplaces where you’re accountable for your workload.

Actually it is. Just asking could be considered discrimination. The EA2010 states that you should not be asked to take ante natal appointments outside of your working hours, or make up the time taken. Clearly it does happen, and clearly from some of the replies here, many women would consider it. I suppose it depends on individual circumstances, whether the request can reasonably be accommodated, the willingness of the employee to comply, and how the employer treats their staff generally. Bringing pressure to bear is often the result if the employee answers in the negative, as in OP’s case, which is wholly unacceptable.

Presumably those extra hours were paid ?

OP, keep a little note on your phone each and every time someone says something negative related to your pregnancy or appointments. Note down the time, date, what was said and how it made you feel. Every single time.

If you ever receive an email saying any of the above, immediately forward it to your personal email address.

@Getmystuffsorted But why wouldn't you want to have wednesday off instead? Just to get some extra hours off from work I suppose. People like you are making pregnant women look bad.

Exactly. I had to fight speak up firmly for one of my union members because the Head wanted her to use her PPA time for midwife appointments. I pointed out she was entitled to both. Then they tried to persuade her to go on maternity leave at the end of July, she was due late September and was perfectly well so I told her to come back in September and start her ML when she was ready to.

No and they shouldn’t have asked. You are legally entitled to paid time off.