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.

YABVVU, and sound quite precious tbh. You were late, because of mistakes you made, not for reasons outwith your control. You're not the first person ever to have been pregnant and had to go to work. Most of us just do it, and don't expect any special treatment

I do think women should be given a break under difficult circumstances even if it’s not “discrimination”
Oh please

We have plenty of written and unwritten laws/rules and systems in place that cater exclusively to/protect pregnant women/mothers already.

How about YOU take responsibility for your lifestyle choice?

You were late because you weren't organised. I've never been late for work, pregnant or otherwise. Don't be ridiculous.

You missed out the part of the story where you were discriminated against for being pregnant..?

Wow. Incredible.

I had a hard pregnancy and extremely high risk! I was constantly bleeding, lots of pain. I could still get my 1 and 7 year old ready and in my 7 year old was in school on time. If she was late the school wouldn't let me iff because I was having a hard pregnancy. There became a time I was actually physically unable to get out of bed so getting a child to school was a physical impossibility. I had to figure how to get her to school. Anyway my point is, if you are physically able to get to training, the excuse 'sorry, I am pregnant and have had a hard night' isn't really good enough!

It’s not discrimination you were late and they did not let you into a training course because you didn’t get there on time. Why should they disrupt a training course others have turned up on time too for you?

Sorry pregnancy is not an excuse to be late for training and I am saying that as someone who is 32 weeks pregnant and having lots of complications that mean I am hospitalised frequently but still make it to work on time. I also have 2 other kids one of whom is a toddler and doesn’t sleep well and one who has additional needs.

If you are not fit to be at a training course due to pregnancy you should have made them aware in advance. You can’t just turn up late and expect them to accommodate you as it’s unfair on everyone else.

I think they’ve dodged a bullet. Your second post reflects a general attitude that I think any employer would want to avoid. Good luck with parenthood if getting somewhere for 20am is beyond you in pregnancy

10am...

Just out of curiosity, if you are having such an awful pregnancy that you can't get up for a training course, how are you going to get there on time to fulfill your contract? Or will you be expecting them to allow you to start work late as and when you can't get up, so they are not "discriminating" against you?

You were late. Nowt to do with being pregnant.

Couldn't you have rung them to tell them you were unwell? OK, Pregnancy isn't an illness in & of itself, but it can sort of "cause" illness IYSWIM, so that would have been legitimate, and demonstrated that you are responsible & thoughtful.

And I just have to laugh at public transport being difficult because it's London on a Saturday. There are some places in this country where there's no public transport on the weekend at all.

No discrimination against pregnant women here.

Discrimination against late-comers.

Fair enough

Did they say "You can't come on because you're pregnant"? Or was it "you can't come in because you're late"?

Stop trying to use pregnancy as a catch-all excuse. You were late. Simple.

Unfortunately all you proved by being 30 mins late is that you are not reliable.

Come on. Really ....it has absolutely nothing to do with you being pregnant.

Doesnt make sense.

Your pregnancy is so bad you cant turn up to the training on time or be reliable for one day.

But when the job starts, you will be even more pregnant, and you want them to believe you will be reliable when you are further along?

In what universe is travel to arrive at 10am within London difficult on a Saturday?

You got up late- because you had a bad night. I’m guessing you didn’t phone to let them know you would be late and as a result they turned you away. Just like any other late comers. In fact a company probably look at it as- if they can’t arrive on time to 1 day of training they possibly aren’t going to be reliable to arrive on time for work so we don’t want anyone unreliable.

It might be that you had a bad night because of your pregnancy however they didn’t turn you away because of your pregnancy so it is not
Discrimination

Erm. Righto.

Is this serious? I am assuming if it is, it's your first child because otherwise how on earth do you cope with multiple children? I am
28 weeks with my fourth. Every night is a bad night - I was sick until 18 weeks, now it's heartburn, achy hips and just general insomnia. Thursday night I was awake from 12.40 until 5am...I still have to get up and sort my other kids out, I still have to get up at 6.30am to get them to school six miles away. I still have to do a full day of work as well. Pregnancy is sodding hard and it is more than challenging to get out of bed some mornings but please don't pull the discrimination card, especially for an event that starts at 10am!

Being marked down in your performance appraisal due to absences caused by HG = discrimination.

Not being invited on a team night out because "it's no fun having a preggy sober person tagging along" = discrimination.

Having responsibilities taken off you and given to other staff because "there's no point giving it you" and then being bollocked for not being a team player because everyone else has more work to do than you = discrimination.

Being demoted in all but name because you're going on maternity leave anyway so why would you care = discrimination.

Being barred from entering a training course that started over half an hour because you've already missed a large chunk of work and your entrance would be disruptive to the other learners = not discrimination.

I know it's annoying and you were expecting to be let in but that's life. You could have phoned ahead to say you were going to be late at which point they'd have told you that they don't allow late entry and you could have just gone home.

Is there an alternative date for the course you could book onto instead?

PS: buses here are one an hour on a Saturday and Sunday, first bus isn't until 9.30am and for some inexplicable reason there are no buses at all between 1.30 and 3.30

You were late.

Their decision has absolutely nothing to do with your pregnancy and certainly is not discrimination.

I’ve got to laugh at all the people going on about how amazing London transport is. It does, obviously, completely depend on where OP was going 🤣

Try being a disabled single parent with a disabled child and living in the sticks. Half an hour late is insulting