Work being difficult! help me!!

[emmajbxxx]

I am currently 19 weeks pregnant.
Work for a large well known salon chain as receptionist, have done so for 3 years. Used to be manager but resigned due to poor management and boss causing me too much stress.
Informed my empolyer of my pregnancy at 4 weeks as i was woring 63 hour weeks and my hours were changed(they werent happy)
Since then we have had a new manager start.
We are open until 8pm, and as it is my job or hers to close we usually get out by 9pm. I told my doctor this was affecting me as i have has severe sickness all way through.
My employers are now saying they need me to work most evebings and are demanding to speak to my midwife.
They also have demanded to look through my green notes to check my appointments as if i am making them up.
Recently i was told by various members of staff that my new manager had been slagging me off to other members of staff that she didnt see the point in me being here as i have extra lunches and work no evenings. This is causing me so much stress, i hardly slept at all last night worrying about it and its making me feel 1000 times worse!
What can i do?

[ALittleBitOfChristmasMagic]

Op I sort of understand where you are coming from however just because you are pregnant doesn't mean you are exempt from working unsociable hours . Last year when I was pregnant I worked as early as 7am to as late as 11pm . It was shit and I hated it but I just had to do it .

The advice I would give you though is pick your battles , and try to be as nice and pleasant about it as you can . Remember (if you plan to) you have to go back and work for these people after may leave and just think how miserable they can make your life then !

And please do not show them your notes they are on to plums with that one !!

[Percephone]

And if it is still too much you can start maternity leave. That's what it's there for.

[Bloodyteenagers]

You are reasonable to say they cannot see your notes, contact your mw and have another risk assessment.

You are very, very unreasonable to say you cannot work late because of pregnancy, and it isn't fair that you are getting home at 10pm.. Lots of woman work shifts. To also say you cannot be expected to clean is wrong because you are pregnant, what about cleaners etc? And indeed what about cleaning in your own home?

[Mabelandrose]

If anything a bit of action on your hands and knees might be good for you!

[emmajbxxx]

He didnt come in in the end. Cleaning isn't in my job description and my i feel like it's just my manager making things difficult for me.
He is now coming in on Friday.
I probably won't be returning after maternity but again, i love my salon and the people I work with, not who I work for.
If I'm uncomfortable doing something, job description or not, if it affects how I suffer throughout the day I shouldn't have to do it.
Thanks everyone! Xxx

[catellington]

I'm not an employment specialist but I thought there was a specific rule about late working in pregnancy.

[catellington]

I mean late nights not late weeks iyswim

[onedev]

It doesn't sound to me like they've been doing anything wrong ?? They're asking you to do your job & provide proof of appointments & being pregnant isn't an excuse for getting out of the things you don't like.

[catellington]

Found it

europa.eu/legislation_summaries/employment_and_social_policy/health_hygiene_safety_at_work/c10914_en.htm

Under 'night work'

Not sure what constitutes night work though

[Percephone]

Night work means night shifts, and a doctor's note / occ health assessment is required. OP is not working nights.

[HarderToKidnap]

Like others here, I worked long days (13 hours) and also long night shifts until I was 36 weeks. You are not exempt from that just because you are pregnant, unless of course you have some else pregnancy specific going on which may affect that...placenta previa, anaemia, multiple birth, SPD etc. in a normal healthy pregnancy its not a reasonable adjustment to not work late at all.

I also don't understand what the problem is with cleaning! I actually advise the women in my clinic to do thinks from 34 weeks! Again if you have sometimg else going on then it may not be reasonable to ask you to do it, but if it's just "because I'm pregnant" then you need to take your turn like everyone else.

[stowsettler]

I think we're all missing the point here. If her late finishes are affecting OP then this is the issue. It matters not a jot if everyone else who's pregnant works til midnight and is absolutely fine with it. Everyone's pregnancy is different. She could be particularly nauseous in the evenings, for example. I always got sick in the evenings when pregnant with DD.
And whilst I agree that there's nothing wrong with asking her to clean per se, it becomes a different matter if her bosses are not asking anyone else to do the shitty jobs. That's called victimisation.

[MightilyOats]

If I still had sickness at 5 months I wouldn't be on my hands and knees on the floor I'd be spewing up

There are other safety considerations I suppose too - if OP has an hour's commute late at night when she feels unwell and exhausted she may be putting herself and others in danger if she drives or if using public transport may be putting herself in danger as a vulnerable person?

[HoopHopes]

You could ask your gp for a fit note with comments about hours gp suggests you work or do not work due to medical reasons. Or be signed off sick with stress or illness if you cannot manage.

If you cannot manage late nights then you could ask your midwife for advice as well?

[Vassia]

Sorry but as someone else said, I also get the feeling you're using your pregnancy as an excuse to not work late. I don't see any reason why you should be exempt from working til 9pm. I think your issue is more to do with the new manager not doing what you used to do as manager. The manager doesn't have to work all the late shifts just because that's what you did.

Asking you to scrub the floor is unreasonable however, and asking to see your notes and speak to your midwife is strange.