Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

WWYD- business travel in snow

21 replies

PGWomble · 30/11/2010 16:04

Hi ladies

Just wanted a few opinions. I am due to fly up to Edinburgh first thing on Thursday morning, returning by train on Friday lunchtime. Looking at today's flights/ trains there are some delays but theoretically I can still make it.

My HR director has suggested I shouldn't go, as has the Director of our Edinburgh office- they are worried about me being up there 28 weeks pg on the ice and potentially get stuck if the weather gets even worse on Thursday night. My Director, however, feels I should make the trip- I head up a dept and she believes my not going would show 'weakness' to my staff (this would be the only thing in my pg which has effected my job- I've not taken any time off other than an hour here or there for routines with mw/gp).

So, I wonder, am I being 'weak' considering not going up there? The business is internal and the vital bits can be done by phone...

What would you do?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Laura05 · 30/11/2010 16:10

hi, to be honest i wouldn't as i live in Fife and the weather is a nightmare!There's a lot of talk of the weather getting worse over the next couple of days which will result in airports and train stations being closed. If the vital bits can be done by phone then there really isn't a huge need for you to go, but at the end of the day it all depends on how you feel.

Deliaskis · 30/11/2010 16:14

Hmm...tricky. I think if it were me I would think about whether I would be going if I wasn't pregnant. You might find if the weather worsens before Thursday, that half the Edinburgh office aren't making it to work and it will seem like very much above and beyond the call of duty if you do go, plus the people you are going to meet might not be there.

So that would be my first consideration, then I guess how does your pg affect that? In all honesty, given that you are flying and getting the train, I would say that is better than driving, in that if I was driving I would be worried about getting stuck, not being able to dig/push car out etc. and of course risk of accident.

Having said that, you could end up with what has happened to me many times, where your morning flight is delayed so much that it is barely worth the trip for all the time you get there. This really is disruptive as you've then missed the opportunity to do the meeting by phone/web etc. as you've been faffing around in the airport for hours.

I don't think you're being weak considering not going, but I think I would couch it in terms of not going being the most sensible option because of the weather and travel disruptionbest use of time/resources etc., not because of your pregnancy, IYSIWM.

I'm not trying to say, BTW, that your pregnancy isn't a good reason not to go (I'm 28 weeks and wouldn't really fancy it), it is, I just think if it were me, I would rather that my pregnancy appeared to be almost incidental to my decision not to go IYSWIM.

sparklytoes · 30/11/2010 16:18

Hi PGWomble, the weather is horrendous up here in Edinburgh - stay where you are! THe forecast might change, but if you can do the business by phone, why put yourself through the stress? Even if you make it up, you still have all the worries about whether you will make it back again. I ventured out on the roads yesterday and the train today for work - both times I ended up turning back. I don't think you are being weak, you are being sensible.
Also, its interesting that your Edinburgh director says stay put - s/he can see for themselves how bad the weather is, and your own director (who isn't in Edinburgh? and so can't see the weather for themselves) has told you to go!

thefurryone · 30/11/2010 16:20

I agree with Deliaskis that I'd be thinking twice about going if I wasn't pregnant which is something that you could point out to your Director!

piprabbit · 30/11/2010 16:21

Don't go.

Your HR Director suggests not going (and is probably the person most aware of the company's duty of care to you as an employee).

Your Director is being a knob - confusing a sensible approach to your health and welfare when choosing to make a non-essential journey with a gungho, macho, damn-the-consequences attitude. What impact would it have on your work if you a) had an accident or b) got stranded?

Don't travel, do the business by phone and tell your Director they need to invest in some video-conferencing technology to reduce unnecessary air travel in future (for everyone).

Deliaskis · 30/11/2010 16:26

sparklytoes makes a good point re the Edinburgh Director - perhaps push this, ask the Edinburgh Director for an update tomorrow and hopefully s/he will review conditions 'on the ground' and advise that conditions are such that it is not advisable for people (not just pregnant people) to make the trip up there.

Original poster

PGWomble · 30/11/2010 16:27

Thanks ladies. Very sound advice as ever.

Pip, I tend to agree re. flights. It's a policy we definitely need to think about in terms of environmental impact.

OP posts:

Muser · 30/11/2010 16:28

Don't go. Travelling when you don't really need to in bad weather is a bad idea for anyone, pregnant or not. Your Director is being an idiot.

piprabbit · 30/11/2010 16:33

I've just reread my post and must apologise if I was a little shouty .
I was working for a big company during both my pregnancies, and they too expected me to fly to Edinburgh regularly - usually as a day trip (be in Edinburgh for 9am and catch a flight home at 5pm) - and I guess your OP struck a chord.

boodlesandpoodles · 30/11/2010 16:44

Goodness, is it me or are female boses just the worst. My boss (male) has said no business travel for me after 28weeks. The team I manage are over 3.5hours away, he said he knows he wouldn't have wanted his wife to do it when she was pregnant so the team should come to me. He is adament that I don't come in during the snowy weather, we've had a sprinkling here, so I have come in today, he says one more flake of snow and I go and work from home. I can't get over these people who expect you to be away from home travel in bad weather when so pregnant, the mind boggles!!

Original poster

PGWomble · 30/11/2010 16:48

Not at all Pip!

Muser- Idiot is correct. This is the woman who told me when I announced I was pregnant that she had three children and it didn't effect how hard she worked and I shouldn't complain about sickness/nausea/fatigue (which, I hadn't, I'd just told her I was pg). As you know well, my getting pregnant shouldn't of exactly been a surprise given she knew why I'd had to take a a few days off back in Feb...Maybe she was just so impressed by the skill of my remaining tube she forgot to say 'congratulations'!

OP posts:

eviscerateyourmemory · 30/11/2010 16:49

Im not sure that being pregnant is even very relevant here - the weather doesnt seem to be improving at all, so probably nor the safest time to attempt this journey. Thats if the airport is even open - I think today it was shut for a while.

Pinetreeland · 30/11/2010 17:33

I am 29 weeks and I was due to go up to Edinburgh this monday for work had my flight not cancelled. I personally think it's ok as long as your taxi takes you all the way to the office and that you wear sturdy shoes for the bit of pavement you may have to walk on.

I will be up there again next Monday so wish me luck.

Muser · 30/11/2010 17:37

I hate women like that Womble, they always seem to feel they need to overcompensate.

I can't help thinking we would deal with bad weather in this country much better if people just considered whether they actually need to go wherever they're going. It's clearly not essential for you to go up to Edinburgh, so why go? I worked from home today because it was essential for me to go in. Tomorrow I will make an effort to get in as I do need to pick some things up. That will mean I can work quite happily from home Thursday/Friday should transport be dodgy.

The culture of presenteeism we have here is ridiculous.

ohanotherone · 30/11/2010 17:39

My sister lives in Edinburgh, the weather is awful, her car is buried underneath two foot of snow, you could be stuck and if it's not vital then it is not worth it. What is weak about a sensible decision?If you weren't pregnant you wouldn't be weak, just sensible. FFS!!!!

TooImmature2BMum · 30/11/2010 17:53

I work for the roads section of the council in Edinburgh, and the latest weather update we got from the Met Office at lunchtime said we're due for another 4-6 inches of snow tonight, and it's not forecast to clear up soon either. The pavements are treacherous - focus is on keeping as many roads open as possible - and you don't want to slip. The airport was shut this morning after about 8am, and flights are disrupted because it was shut all yesterday, so the chances are your flight would be affected. How were you planning to get from the airport to your office? That's likely to take much longer than it would during normal conditions, even in a taxi. We've had 14 inches of snow in about 3 days (probably more by now). Tell your boss the police are advising against non-essential travel in this area, and to bog off!

TooImmature2BMum · 30/11/2010 18:02

It took me and DH 2 hours to dig the car out this morning (Midlothian) and the only reason I was doing it was to prevent people from thinking I was a slacker/skiver. We started snow clearing at about half past 7 and didn't get to work in Edinburgh til 11. I then left at 3 because it was starting to snow heavily again. I think you would be doing the sensible thing (pregnant or not, it doesn't matter!) by conducting your business over the phone, seeing as you say it's perfectly possible.

Sorry to rant slightly, but DH got a very sniffy response from his boss's boss when he asked if there was any work he could do from home tomorrow if it's too bad to travel back in, and I'm still angry on his behalf! I think he was showing responsibility and forward planning, which is exactly what you are doing.

JeelyPiece · 01/12/2010 08:04

Edinburgh airport is still closed anyway Womble, do not come up here! Had to dig DH's car out this morning again and am wishing I had made him stay home.

witches · 01/12/2010 08:32

i only had to travel by car yesterday and sepent the whole day telling everyone it was ridiculous that we were open and then stressed about coming home! felt bad about it at night but why should we take the risk more important things to worry about just now.

ckny1 · 01/12/2010 08:52

I hope you didn't go and are safe and snug (?), or at work, in London!

Pathetic director you have, but good that your HR and other colleagues are sensible.

Must say that I went on my last work trip to Paris by train last week (only 25wks) and despite taking nothing with me, was a wreck when I returned because of all the running about in 1 day and poor eating that comes with not being in your routine envt. Since returning my belly muscles are sore and I don't feel as great as I did before. That was with GOOD weather! A phone call could be just as effective...

LisMcA · 01/12/2010 11:43

You wont be coming to Edinburgh, Airport closed until tomorrow at least. I'm about 7 miles away from the airport and we have at least 2 foot of snow in our back garden, and it's still snowing . We aren't going anywhere for a long time!

Flip