To not understand why people recommend Pregnant Then Screwed?

[firsttimepregnanthelp]

I believe I am experiencing unfair treatment at work due to pregnancy related sickness so called PTS as people are always recommending it but they were useless?! A very short phone call with generic, vague advice. Is it just me? Same with ACAS - all very vague. There seems to be no support.

Would be useful if you could name the Unions that are ‘women’ friendly. Everyone would benefit from that on MN. All we do hear is the horror stories about the Unions who throw women under the bus and won’t support them, so let share the good Unions please.

Here you go:

• UNISON: As a large public sector union with three-quarters female members, they focus on fighting the gender pay gap, supporting pregnant women, and implementing menopause policies.
• Unite the Union: Campaigns on "equal pay and pensions justice," ending violence against women (including promoting 'Safe Leave'), and securing strong flexible working rights.
• GMB Union: Actively campaigns for 52 weeks of fully paid maternity leave and fights against discrimination faced by women with caring responsibilities.
• PCS (Public and Commercial Services Union): Focuses on equality of opportunity, with a strong women's forum and policies addressing menopause at work.
• FiLiA Trade Union Women’s Network: A network for women to connect, share resources, and challenge sexist workplace culture.
• Women’s Trade Union Federation (WTUF):Focuses on defending women's sex-based rights, tackling misogyny, and protecting female-only spaces.

The only 2 of those Unions who truly support women are FiLiA and WTUF. Worth considering joining one of these.

The rest all go along with the mantra ‘trans women are women’ and do not support biological women who believe in biological sex as opposed to gender ideology.

So addressing the gender pay gap, maternity rights, equal pensions, flexible working, a paid full year maternity leave, challenging misogyny in the workplace, equality for women with caring responsibilities aren’t important and bear no relation to women’s rights? How very odd. I suspect they mean considerably more to most women than the trans issue

I often being up this exact point when people inevitably say "HR will always side with the company". It's insulting, I've put my neck on the line to challenge some very senior people, and exit them, because of how they've treated employees.

Quite often the best thing for the employer, is to do the best thing by the employee. But as others rightly mention, and as with all professions (but always said about HR without fail) not everyone is that great. Just a shame we're all tarnished by one person's bad experience

Never underestimate the value of joining the union!

I pay i think something like £1.50 a week. But I see it like insurance, hope I never have to use it but will be glad I have it if needed (and actually they have already helped with non pregnancy related employment issues!)

You get the advice you pay for. Join a union.

All misogynistic, prioritise males over women’s rights bar FiLiA and WTUF.

Lots of women are now suing their Unions because they failed to support them over basics like privacy & dignity.

PTS are a good initial sense check. If ACAS and PTS don’t know your situation isn’t clear cut.

If you set it out lawyers on here can give advice. Sorry for what you’re going through. It must be stressful.

It’s not transphobic to object to teenage girls having to get changed with teenage boys and be exposed to their penis frequently. That’s safeguarding 101.

If Unions don’t support basic safeguarding then they won’t protect other rights of women. They have de-valued women to such an extent it then permeates other areas.

No one is phobic of trans people if they support biological sexed rights. It’s like saying I’m Christian-phobic if I think atheists have rights. Supporting the rights of one group doesn’t make you phobic of the other.

@SexRealisticno wise lawyer is going to advise another poster on the applicability of employment law to their specific circumstances on an anonymous forum.

Well they can give an indication in the round as many do often.

I was told I was a silly moo for getting pregnant and they’d get rid of me for it v I am returning from maternity and want to reduce my hours to two 6 hour shifts a week in a place that only does 12 hour shifts for X reason.

Someone can easily give a steer. Much more useful that should have joined a Union…..