aibu about maternity appointments?

[user1471507352]

I work shifts, and I get a weeks worth on Monday for the week in advance (Friday onwards), so very little notice. Some of my shifts at the moment, there is very little work for me to do, and if I worked 9-5 basically all my appointments would be in work time. I'm not going to go out of my way to make sure appointments are in work time, but how unreasonable would it be to give them the same notice of my appointments as they give me with my shifts? If I worked set shifts I'd let them know as soon as I got any that clashed with my schedule, but right now I don't know which appointments would clash, because I don't have a schedule.

YABU-tell them as soon as you get them through
YANBU-tell them as soon as the rota shows a clash

Maternity appointments are booked weeks in advance. Tell your employer with as much notice as possible so that they can work round them. It’s annoying to work out a rota twice because an employee doesn’t speak up in time about availability.

It just seems unfair to me that someone with set shifts would get paid time off for appointments, but I would inevitably have a 9am appointment, and then be put on a late shift to finish at 10, or be up at 4am for work, do a full shift, and have an afternoon appointment, for every single appointment. Also, we're massively overstaffed ironically due to covid, so finding cover for me on most shifts would be really easy (and pretty unnecessary most of the time)

My consultant appointments were only given 1 week in advance. Do you have set days for your appointment tents? My consultant used to work on a Wednesday only so the majority of my appointments were on that day.

My work were so pissed off at me when my appointments would run late. My shift would start at 1pm, appointment at 9.30 but they would run 3-4 hours late every time. Nothing I could do about it because I was consultant led and there was no way I was missing scans/consultant appointments to accommodate work.

You'll have a policy on how much notice you need to give, look it up.

I don't have any set days for appointments. TBF so far they have been ok with any appointments I've had, and I've had most of them out of work time anyway, maybe leaving an hour early when I'm not really needed anyway

Good point @GreyWall, I will do that.

I worked OOH shifts with my youngest so all of my maternity appointments were when I wasn't working. I certainly didn't get upset that other women got paid time off for appointments whereas I didn't.

The point of paid time off for appointments is so that people in less flexible jobs don't get penalised for needing medical treatment. It's not an entitled amount of time off bonus, it's an adjustment to make people's life a bit easier. I work office hours and will always try to get a medical appointment first thing or last thing to minimise work disruption.

So is it fair for me to have a morning appointment, and then be put on a late shift, deliberately so they don't have to give me any time off? If I was on set shifts, I'd try and arrange it so it worked for both sides (trying to get appointments around work hours)

As it is, I will speak to my manager and ask for rota's further in advance. Most of the people I work with have a set rota so it shouldn't actually be too hard to have an idea of what they want me on further in advance.

Do you mean you want to work it so that you have sleep time etc in between appointment and shift work (if you work very late/early or night shifts?) ie so appointment is at say 10am and then your shift starts 12pm? I'd say that's reasonable

But otherwise surely it does make sense for them to work your rota around your mat appointments? If they know you aren't free at that time it makes sense they wouldn't book your work time for then

A bit like how if you were part time you'd try if possible to book your appointments on the days you weren't at work, or when I was full time I'd try to get first or last appointments they had to minimise my time off

I think the issue here is it's not like any other medical appointment where you would arrange it outside of work as it is not paid time off. Employees are entitled to antenatal appointments as paid time whether they are full or part time if their appointments fall in working time and they can't be required to change them by their employer. This seems a similar situation: www.workingmums.co.uk/changing-rotas-so-i-dont-take-ante-natal-appointments-in-work-hours/

I have to be honest and say personally I don't know when I'd tell them. I understand why you feel you should be entitled to not have to go out of your way to not take them during your shifts and I agree that if people with set hours get paid time off for them you should too, I just don't know practically how to get it sorted.

So, I don't mind a 10am appointment, when I'm on a 1300 start, but if I get a 9am appointment, and I start at 5pm, I'll be exhausted.

It does make me feel like booking every appointment I have for midday, but that means every shift I do will be disrupted (my shifts are mostly early or late)

You could get a doctor’s note very easily demanding you be placed on 9-5 shifts, if this is stressing you out. Just talk to yout GP

Of course that it’s fair to try and not schedule you on.
Most office jobs you would be making up the work at end of the day etc

YABU

Having the right to paid time off for maternity appointments is not there so you get the chance to work a nice short day cause you fancy it!

Also if you are having a lovely quiet time at work I’d keep quiet if I was you. Have you not got any sense of how fortunate you are? Unemployment is rising and the rest of us are juggling homeworking/quarantine/homeschooling. I think you need to rethink your attitude you sound exceptionally entitled.

@Dishwashersaurous

Of course that it’s fair to try and not schedule you on. Most office jobs you would be making up the work at end of the day etc

They can't legally get you to make the time up.

I'm happy to have the appointments out of work time, but not to the extent it affects my health. I'm grateful for having a job, but I'm a key worker, who worked all through this, my colleague has had covid, I'm public facing and there's no alternative.

Having slept on it, and really dug into my thoughts, I'll have a proper chat with my manager about this. She's usually pretty understanding, and I've helped her out a fair bit at other times.