AIBU pregnant & turned away from training

[MimiKoko]

AIBU to be ticked off ? Please forgive me very pregnant and a little hormonally emotional- if there’s such a thing. So I have a seasonal job which requires me to attend a training session before I can commence the short term contract - training was today a Saturday- I was meant to be there at 10am a nice hotel - quite far from where I live got there 33 minutes late because I had a bad night- couldn’t get up on time - public transport on a Saturday in London isn’t the best either - nothing in confirmation email said if you’re late you will not be let in - got there after they ladies at the door “conferred” I was told can’t come in after lugging laptop etc all that way - I’ve done this job for years not particularly taxing, offered to make the time up at lunch - transport was quite expensive being London - now lost the contract as can’t do it without attending the training - just majorly annoyed at subtle pregnancy discrimination - need the money and really would not have been late on purpose - being on the underground there’s no contact number to ring whilst enroute.

The problem is OP they need to deliver a set training program and if everyone is late it’s impossible to get through all the work.

Appreciate it’s annoying for you and we have all had bad days but they have to have a cut off or people could be walking in all day. Also the people who had been trained might not have all the required knowledge.

Hope you feel better soon.

YABVVU

Seriously, people have bad nights all the time - kids being ill, insomnia etc and they get to work on time. It's not pregnancy discrimination.

You lost me a bit at "couldn't get up in time" then completely at "lugging a laptop".

I'm not sure how you are going to cope with a baby. Lots of bad nights, and after a week or so they weigh a lot more than a lap top, come with far more accessories and are a lot less portable.

Surely at some point you thought “I’m going to be late”. Could you not have contacted the organisers at this point and told them? I once misread the start time of something and only read it properly on the train. Quick email to the organisers with a grovelling apology for my stupidity, job done. Only missed coffee she housekeeping in the end.

If you think pregnancy is 'tough' wait until you have a baby that wakes you every two hours through the night then sleeps blissfully whilst you have to force yourself out of bed to get ready for work at 6am

Sorry but yabvu and give people who suffer actual pregnancy discrimination a bad name. This was by no means it at all. It was all down to planning. And why didnt you call ahead to let anyone know. You just rocked up late and now upset that you werent given special treatment

Pregnancy can be difficult for some women, so can having young children, difficult teenagers, marriage issues, grieving after a loss, health issues, depression, cancer, common cold, restless night, money issues, I could go on, where does the line get drawn.

It's not pregnancy discrimination and trying to spin it as such does a massive disservice to women who have been discriminated against for maternity reasons.

You had to be there for 10am. That's the time some London training courses I've done started and they started at 10am to facilitate people coming from as far as Bristol, Manchester, Sheffield and Newcastle.

You arrived half an hour late. That's why you weren't allowed in.

You were the one who said:

got there 33 minutes late because I had a bad night- couldn’t get up on time

...so you've changed your tune somewhat in your second post.

I used to deliver training - I would turn anyone away if they were more than 15 minutes late. I would have to go over the health and safety stuff all over again even then.

Your attitude is terrible. You overslept and was late and are now trying to say they're discriminating against you?

Delivering training often involves writing the training to fit the time allowed and staying after to prepare materials etc. Why should they make themselves late or have you disrupt them?

you were late, it had a consequence, nothing to do with being pregnant

It's you who said you couldn't drag your arse out of bed.

Greyhound22
I could understand if they called or emailed saying 'I'm on the mainline train and there's been a half hour disruption at Peterborough. I'm terribly sorry but I'll be arriving late'. Ultimately that's unforeseen (and most people travelling a distance already give themselves some float to get around London - especially if like me they are quite inept at the whole tube thing).

Sleeping in for training that's not far from home takes the mick.

Given its manifestly not unreasonable to refuse to admit someone late with no notice, then to prove discrimination in this case, you'd have to successfully argue it would have been reasonable to delay the whole course start to accommodate the symptoms of your pregnancy.

But they could not have done this as they didn't know whether the OP was even turning up. In the OP she says: really would not have been late on purpose - being on the underground there’s no contact number to ring whilst enroute. But if you 'couldn't get up' then when you did, THAT is when you call, at the first instance of you knowing you're not going to make it. They might have delayed the start - but they can't do it if they don't know because you were basically a non-attendee.

It's not discrimination. Of ANY type. The organisers can't deal with something they know nothing about.

I think you were treated in exactly the same way a non pregnant person would have been had they turned up 30 mins late. So you may face back lash on here for crying wolf on pregnancy descrinination.

In actual fact, your issue is that you expected them to make ‘allowances’ for you on the basis that you’re pregnant and therefore treat you differently to the rest. Also get the impression because you’ve ‘been doing it for years’ you maybe felt the training wasn’t super important.

Personally I think this comes down to their ‘sickness/ unusual circumstances’ policy. You were unable to get there on time because you were not functioning normally. If somebody was unwell and could not attend the training, would they also lose the contract? Or would alternative arrangements be made to train them?

If it’s the first then YABVU and need to understand that you were late so you lost the contract just like anybody else would have.

If it’s the second though, then yes I would say this is unreasonable. As long as you made it clear at the time that you had been unwell in the night due to your pregnancy and didn’t just blame ‘Saturday traffic’ which isn’t an excuse at all

Just because you're pregnant it doesn't mean you get special treatment. Loads of people have difficult circumstances and life doesn't give them allowances.

*discrimination

I am pregnant and still working and I drag myself out of bed each morning, bad night or otherwise, and if I didn't I'd expect to be pulled up on it. Being 33 minutes late is quite a lot, it's not like you turned up 5 minutes late. I understand that you're hormonal but I think YABU and blaming them for something which is ultimately your fault. Sorry

Jesus Christ. Wait until you're lugging a baby and all of the tons of heavy crap you have with.

With no sleep.

Then see how difficult getting London transport is (which is an amazing system).

The entitlement from some people is astounding.

So what stopped you getting out of bed then?

If you think transport in London is bad, you don't know you're born. As a previous poster has said: try living in the rest of the country.

Nothing about your OP is reasonable and I would not hire you.

How the hell is it pregnancy discrimination?!?!

You being late has nothing to do with you being pregnant!

Being pregnant doesn't make you special, many pregnant women manage their lives perfectly well, you're pregnant, not ill.

Very interesting first posts.

Or did you name change because you know you are being a dick?