Should I be at work in tri 3?

[wisteriainsummer]

Working from home isn’t possible as I work in a school. Does anybody know what the official guidance is? The midwife said she ‘thought’ I should be shielding, but she didn’t sound certain either!

1 teacher in my school due Dec is taking early maternity. Totally crap. Another in SLT not having a class but in doing leadership stuff

The government guidance page links to this

www.rcog.org.uk/en/guidelines-research-services/guidelines/coronavirus-pregnancy/covid-19-virus-infection-and-pregnancy/

Occupational health guidance for pregnant women who work in a public-facing role*
Q. Can I still go to work? What if I work in a public-facing role?
We understand that it must be an anxious time if you are pregnant and you work in a public-facing role.
National policy on social distancing measures has shifted considerably since the peak of the pandemic and now varies regionally. However, the UK Government has maintained the precautionary measure of classing pregnant women as clinically vulnerable. Therefore, despite the easing of restrictions from 4 July 2020, the advice remains that pregnant women who can work from home should continue to do so.
If you cannot work from home, you can work in a public-facing role if your employer can make appropriate arrangements to minimise your exposure to the virus. This should be considered and discussed with your occupational health team and/or employer in line with the RCOG, RCM and FOM clinical guidance and the UK government guidance linked to below. If you are advised that it is safe to go to work, you should be especially diligent about social distancing and hand hygiene.
The RCOG, RCM and FOM joint occupational health guidance version 3.4, updated on 10 August 2020 is still available to provide you and your employer with clinical advice on the risk and potential implications of being severely affected by COVID-19, particularly if you are 28 weeks’ pregnant or more. This clinical advice still stands and remains important (please see the statement included at the beginning of this document about why we have kept this guidance available).
How and where you can safely work should be advised by your employer, after they conduct a risk assessment of your workplace and your individual situation in line with the UK Government guidance on Working Safely during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
We recommend that employers use the clinical advice in our occupational health document (in particular, section 3 ‘Recommendations for pregnant healthcare workers’) along with the sector-specific advice on Working Safely during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and on the NHS Employer website. We can assure you that the RCOG, RCM and Faculty of Occupational Medicine continue to act as clinical advisors on these documents published by government agencies.
Maternity Action has published FAQs around rights and benefits during pregnancy and maternity leave which you may find helpful.

Shielding has ended and pregnancy, even in trimester 3, wasn’t in the shielding group anyway. You can be in work, however your workplace should do a risk assessment and put in measures where possible to keep you safe, including working from home if this is possible (if not possible then you can be in work).

Unfortunately shielding has ended at the moment. Do feel for you. Make sure a risk assessment is carried out with your line manager.

Also pregnancy was never on the shielding list, just vulnerable. I was allowed to work from home for the few weeks before my maternity started end of April but schools were 'closed' at the time. Even people that were shielding are expected back but I would speak to the head about your concerns and if there are ways they can make it safer for you

Thank you for your help! I do appreciate it as I haven’t been in work since March and feel very uncertain. I’d rather know for definite I am back for three months than have the uncertainty!

You can take maternity leave early if you are worried

Yes, but then there’s an obvious financial implication. Hopefully we will all know a bit more by the end of this week. As it is I have no idea what to expect!

I would be seeking a new midwife. Pregnancy alone was never cause for shielding in the first place.

I would ask lots of questions to your school, if you’re not happy and decide not to go in they would possibly be the ones that decided to trigger your maternity leave. They can do this but I’m not sure of the circumstances. I would definitely ask questions, if I was a head I wouldn’t want to be responsible for telling pregnant teachers in their third trimester that they need to be in classrooms. Good luck! Horrible you’re having to explore this, I think your midwife was probably speaking with caution and common sense, it’s is caring profession after all.

I'm going to be 3rd trimester on thursday, I had to do my own risk assessment and I will be in work in a school. I will be speaking to my midwife at my 28 week appointment about this as apparently is houldnt have had to do my own risk assement and I'm not sure 1m away from the who school in a visor is realy social distancing I the way they ment it.