To finish work early due to not being allowed to work from home?

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I am heavily pregnant and only have 2 weeks left in work - my employer has said I can't work from home (even though I have a job that can be done remotely) as they want everyone in the office. Very covid safe!

I am due to go on annual leave in 2 weeks for 2 weeks, then start my maternity leave.

What is the best way to go about this?

Why do they want you there if you think you can work remotely? Are you a trainee or responsible for training others?

@Lemonpiano

Why do they want you there if you think you can work remotely? Are you a trainee or responsible for training others?

I am neither - I'm an admin worker, in a team of three. Everything for all 3 of us can be done remotely. I have a work mobile and laptop which were provided at the start of this role (pre covid) and I've always worked from home for at least part of the week

I would go off sick tbh.

So what on earth is their justification?!

@Lemonpiano I just got told that as a company policy they want everyone in the office as it is "a safe office". I asked for this in writing and have been ignored

I’m not allowed to wfh either. My office is NOT covid safe, I can work remotely but it’s not allowed, simply because I work for a control freak.

@MrsMoastyToasty

I wouldn't normally recommend it but I'd go sick with stress or maternity problems.

Same here. Not something I would normally recommend but in that case,I'll make an exception.

@maddening

I thought that the rules around forcing maternity leave in the last 4 weeks before your due date was only for maternity related sickness? So if it were stress or anxiety around an unsafe environment then that would not be maternity related?

Gov guidance is if you are off sick due to a pregnancy related illness or for heath and safety grounds in the 4 weeks before your expected due date your employer can start your mat leave early So by either saying she is sick or claiming the office is not covid safe mat leave will have to start. Op best advise is what you have suggested that you ask to bring mat leave and annual leave forward.

It doesn't sound like any of your team should be working in the office during lockdown as this is against the law. The rules are that you must work from home unless it is impossible to do so. So your employer is acting illegally regardless of pregnancy. And so are you if you go to work as this does not constitute a valid reason to be away from home.

There must be lots of companies not following the work from home message this time around. The first lockdown the roads were empty, I drove home from work tonight and it was a busy as any other time.

From 28 weeks you should be WFH and if this is not possible even with altered duties then you should be on medical leave until your maternity leave start date. Your employer is being unreasonable.

Don't go off sick and trigger mat leave. Ask for your risk assessment, point to RCOG 28 weeks guidance. Risk assessment has to mitigate risk as far as possible so if you can work from home they really must allow you to do so. Do you have the link for the RCOG document?

I’d just log on and work from home if you can do. Create a workman appointment/car trouble but NOT sickness for the first day, prove how effective it is then stay put.

To add, you could also throw in the risk assessment but acknowledge the easier thing would just be to remain at home. Doing them such a favour.

UPDATE: I had asked for HR to confirm in writing that I needed to go into the office and they have just emailed back (several hours later) to say that due to my "current medical condition", they are happy for me to work from home..

Not what they said over the phone..

Funny, that!

Good result. I am glad they backed down.

Surprisingly when required to put it in writing they wouldn’t. Good result.

Great result for you, pleased you’ll be able to work from home. Shame there’s not a way of reporting employers who are insisting people come in (pregnant or not) when the job can clearly be done at home.

I was fuming but now calming down! I'm very pleased indeed. I would have kind of understood (ish, maybe) if you couldn't perform the role from home but you can and do so they were being ridiculous.

Christ, our two pregnant colleagues have been nowhere near our office for months!! YANBU.

@SmashingMirrors

There must be lots of companies not following the work from home message this time around. The first lockdown the roads were empty, I drove home from work tonight and it was a busy as any other time.

Me too. I cannot WFH and back in April the roads were empty. Not this time.

@comingintomyown

Work in the office for the next two weeks ? Am I missing something?

Clearly you are missing something yes??

LIKE THE MASSIVE BIT THAT SAYS SHE IS HEAVILY PREGNANT you moron.

Does she want to risk getting Covid during labour? And therefore have to give birth alone with no partner, feeling like shit, and risk passing it on to her newborn baby??? As well as other midwives and doctors that could then pass it on etc...

You been around this past year at all?

I'm feeling a lot better now I asked for it in writing and they came back with completely the opposite response! They were probably worried what I might do with the email.

I feel awful for anyone else in this position though, pregnant or not. If you can work from home, you should be allowed to work from home. My job can be done on a laptop from anywhere in the world and no one would know the difference.. Except HR apparently!

How can employers be allowed to flout all the government guidance?

@comingintomyown

Ok, well if your environment is COVID safe and your employer wants you in the office there’s not much to say really. No idea what you do but I wouldn’t want to rock the boat when you are about to be off for a while. Good luck with your baby 👶

What is "Covid safe" exactly???

Someone might want to tell Boris!!! Because I don't think the last year anyone has realised that you can just make somewhere Covid safe!! Problem solved then!! Can't believe we've just been running around not being Covid safe all this time

Fuck me...