Leaving work??? Advice please

[BrokenPancreas1994]

So I am a month pregnant and I need some advice, I am a type 1 diabetic and well I want to leave work by the time I am 3 months gone for my health sake and the baby's health sake, work puts me under alot of stress as it is, and trying to juggle work, diabetes and pregnancy, well probably give me a melt down! I just want to focus on my health! Has anyone else quit work whilst pregnant and received any help money wise??

I would try to stay on as long as possible.

Work will have to do a risk assessment. Talk to them about your diabetes and ask for a less stressful role or light duties.

I don't know the law, but someone will come along who does.

I think work has to accommodate your diabetes and pregnancy so don't quit until you know all your rights.

Good luck, and congratulations!

I would be careful giving up work too early and would definitely not mention leaving early until after your 12 week scan.
I would wait until you find out what things will be put into place after the risk assessment is carried out until you decide.
You won't be eligible for maternity pay that early. You may be able to get signed off sick, but may not be paid.

Do you mean you want to quit as in not to return or just take maternity leave early?

If you leave work voluntarily you would be entitled to contributions based JSA for 6 months, and that's it. And that wouldn't start straight away. As you are able to work with your health condition but chose not too you wouldn't be eligible for sickness related benefits, and you may not be entitled to maternity allowance.

Google 'entitled to' and a benefits calculator will come up - this will give you an indication of what you could be entitled to, but remember that voluntarily quitting work would reduce these entitlements massively.

Unless you have a lot in savings or you can afford to live solely on your partners wage (if you have a partner) then I wouldn't do it.

I understand that pregnancy and type 1 diabetes is hard - my best friend has just finished work for mat leave last week - she's having a caesarean next week at 37 weeks exactly and has type 1 diabetes. Another type 1 friend is pregnant with her second, she's worked full time with both pregnancies, she reduced her hours towards the end with both, it worked well for her - she's a senior manager in the NHS so lots of stress!

Could you reduce your hours, e.g. work part time, or use annual leave to take a day off a week? Could you ask to be put on light duties for health purposes? If you declared yourself as 'disabled' when you got your job they aren't legally allowed to discriminate against you due to issues relating to your illness, and similarly with pregnancy, so I'd stick it out. You can go on mat leave 11 weeks before your due date so you could go on mat leave at 28 weeks, which if you are a month pregnant is only 24 weeks away - if you have 24 days annual leave you could take a day a week off?

Also, you are only a month pregnant, a lot can happen between now and the 'safe zone' if you hand your notice in and then miscarry (hopefully not but it's a reality) you won't be pregnant and will be unemployed.

Congrats on your good news first of all. But you need to be realistic. You're very early in your pregnancy. Without wanting to be all doom and gloom, things can go wrong - you don't want to end up quitting for no reason iyswim.

Many many women with type 1 diabetes have relatively trouble free pregnancies. I think you may be overreacting/panicking slightly for no reason.

Juno is correct, in order for you to claim sickness benefits you would need a sick note from a GP to prove that you are incapable of working. If the GP deems you fit enough to be at work you would not be entitled to sickness benefit and would have to go on JSA for most of your pregnancy which works out about £60 a week. However my partners friend has just handed in his notice at work and has been told by DWP that he is not entitled to any benefits for 6 months as he made himself intentionally unemployed.

Thank you for all the replies, I know to wait until the 12 week scan, I just hate it here so much, everyday I am worrying about going to work, I am on antidepressants and also worrying about being judged and I know I shouldn't. It's difficult and before I was looking for a different job but had no luck and now I am pregnant! I understand that I probably won't be entitled to anything I just wanted to check! My partner works, but I just want to be happy and that definitely cannot happen whilst i am here! I've been told by ex colleagues etc that this isn't your average company, everyone is so rude and disrespectful I don't know what to do! I just want happiness...is that so hard?

Agree with others would at least wait until had a 12 week scan, as sadly some pregnancies end in miscarriage in first trimester and to hand in notice and not have a baby would be awful.

Can you ask, when relevant, to see the specialist midwife for diabetic people or the diabetic team so they can help you in pregnancy?

You can also use holiday time if need some time off. earliest you can stop work and claim maternity pay/SMP etc is 29 weeks, so only 25 weeks to go and if you use all your holiday then even less weeks?

I looked and found a new job while pregnant, it is possible - probably depends on what type of work you do, but I was working in a laboratory at the time, with lots of hazards, and they still gave me the job, knowing I was pg. It was only a temporary position, which meant that I only got maternity allowance. And then had no job to go back to and had to find a completely new one.

Like others have said, I would wait. Continue with the job searching, go for interviews etc. - for one thing, it will help you take your mind off things. I don't mean to scare you, but you have no guarantee that it will be a successful pregnancy - what if something goes wrong, and then you have no job at all? Just being on the cautious side here...
Talk to your midwife, GP and HR - your workplace has an obligation to assess you and to try and provide an environment that you can work in.

I would see how it goes. If you are too unwell to work you can be signed off and still retain your employment. It might also be the case that you can work reduced hours or have sine time off and go back.

What are you planning on doing for work after the baby is born?

I would stick it out until six months so you qualify for your maternity pay. It really isn't that long in the grand scheme of things - only three months past the point where you know your PG is likely to last. If you quit at three months then you'll probably end up with no income and no benefits and babies don't come cheap!

I have type 1 as well and am 5 months pg with no. 4. Yes it is stressful dealing with type 1 and pg and it is a constant battle but it is doable. I thankfully have 3 healthy children and am hoping for another. I have been lucky that aside from the innate complication of type 1 and my 2nd pg being twins I haven't really had any major pg complications. In my first pg I had to switch jobs when I was 17 weeks as my job was ending (2 years fixed contract) and I was applying for jobs in my first trimester.

Personally I don't think it would be a good idea to resign at 3 months and spend the rest of your pg at home worrying about money and your health. With my first pg I finished at 35 weeks as I knew I was being induced at 39 weeks and it was just about right. With my 2nd I finished at 31 weeks because we were moving house and I wanted to rest to prevent prematurity (they came 3 days after the move at 33+4 so not so effective). With this one I'll probably go off around 36 weeks.

It sounds like you're very unhappy with your job and this is causing you major stress. It also doesn't sound like you feel robust enough to job hunt. Have you investigated any techniques in how to best deal with this stress? Mindfulness is quite popular at the moment and is certainly useful for diabetes and pregnancy. Are there any forms of support you can call on at work?

Also how supportive are your diabetes team? Can they reassure you about your control and outcomes?

You may decide to tell work before 12 weeks because the number of appointments you may have will be a lot more than the average person. I had had 7 by the time I was 14 weeks this time and turned down 2 more. This was partly because I got a pump and therefore needed a pump appointment but the others were once a month checks with the consultant, (5 wks, 8 wks, 12 wks), booking appointment, dating scan, and retinopathy check.

As many have said you don't know what the outcome will be and I have had one pg I miscarried.

Good luck and if you have any questions about diabetes and pregnancy I'm happy to answer on the thread or via private message. I'd also recommend the forums on diabetes.co.uk for more detailed advice on diabetes and pregnancy.

Have a look on maternity action or give them a call about what you might be entitled to if you move jobs.
You can start maternity leave at 29 weeks and many employers like you to use your annual leave before you go, so that could bring it forward even more.
Once you announce your pregnancy they need to do a risk assessment. Can you get a note from gp or midwife about adjustments you need for this pregnancy?

Just so you know, diabetes counts as a disability undertone equality act 2010 because it's an illness that has an impact on your day to day living and lasts for longer than 6 months (I have an invisible disability too).

I would echo what everyone else is saying about sticking it out as long as possible, but also bear in mind that if your health is so bad you can't get into work and your workplace could make reasona key adjustment to take into consideration your pregnancy and disability they have to do it. You haven't mentioned what it is that you do, but if you are office based and could potentially work from home your doctor could write a note suggesting this and you could talk to your workplace about it.

Also I am really sorry if that's not relevant to your or not helpful :( I hope your workplace will be helpful and understanding but if they are not remember you can always take action against them afterwards (if your health is up to it).

I work in an office in accounts, I really wish I could explain how this company is but it is so hard, and the reason why I really don't want to be here! Nevermind I will just have to wait it out! Thanks though

Also my diabetes team are crap! I moved house a little while ago so I am changing my doctor's soon as they haven't bothered with me at all! And as unrealistic as it is I really didnt want work to know I was pregnant, it's just the way I feel, sorry if people disagree with that but it is! Sorry!

You may find when you have contact with your midwife that you will have a consultant oversee your care and hospitals often have a specific diabetic midwife and team so hope your support there is helpful.

It's not really a case of people disagreeing with you. You obviously have every right to make the choice to leave if you wish. However if at all possible, it would make financial sense to work as until 29 weeks when you can take maternity leave. In the meantime, you can use holiday and get signed off sick if necessary.

If you really want to leave, if you can find another job then you might qualify for maternity allowance which might help out financially?

I can understand that you are unhappy, and the stress won't be helping with your diabetes management either. If you can afford it financially then there is nothing stopping you from leaving however you need to know that you will not be entitled to any benefits for 6 months after quitting your job.

Could you do agency work/ temping or find a less stressful part time job?

You don't have to tell work you are pregnant if you don't want to, it's only a suggestion to try and ease some of the pressure you are under.