Maternity rights - how far do you take it?

[wilkie50]

Just seeing what the general consensus is out there.

I have quite a stressful job, I'm 33 weeks pregnant and have been concerned about my workload for a good few months. Sometimes I have felt like I just can't cope.

I have raised the issue of stress and my workload at each month Risk Assessment HR do for the past four months or so, coupled with speaking directly to my boss about it. But nothing has ever been done, they seem to think I am wonderwoman and have piled more and more work on me.

The crux has been that I have ended up having two lots of 3 days off, once because I was so stressed that I just couldn't face going in (about 8 weeks ago) and then again last week when I ended up in hospital because I was having tightenings. They diagnosed a water infection and thrush which the doctor said was because I was run down and recommended I take time off work.

I don't start my mat leave for another 3.5 weeks.

Basically, I feel like I am a real moaner and that my (male) bosses must be sick of me.

In my maternity rights handbook it says that you are entitled to being paid for time off if a risk has been identified (in my case stress) and not rectified but work are dragging their heels and saying they won't pay me.

Has anyone else had similar issues and what are your thoughts? (sorry for such a long post)

I thought that if you had pregancy related illness at this stage employers could force you onto maternity leave? I would get some independant legal advice on what your position is as it sounds like your employers are trying to get out of their legal obligations. If you have higlighted this to them before then they should have started trying to do something about it then. Are you in a position to use any holiday to cut your hours each week in the run up to mat leave?

No, I've got no holiday days left and we really can't afford for me to finish any earlier.

My company have the crappest sick policy, you have three 'qualifying' days where you don't get paid then you get SSP. What I want from them is for them to pay me for the three days I had to take off sick as my illness was stress related. I don't know if this is legally correct though?

Sorry to hear about your horrible employers and hope they're not spoiling your pregnancy. Stress is a very real health and safety issue. If it's been identified in your risk assessment but they haven't acted on it then I think that's a breach of the law.

You could contact your local HSE office or HSE?s Infoline on 08701 545500 for advice.

Yes, Thinks is right. Although it sounds to me as if they will drag their feet for another 3.5 weeks. Poor you
HSE info

At my work place if you end up finishing work earlier than expected BUT due to a pregnancy related condition/illness they can make you start your mat leave earlier, therefore returning to work sooner. Would you mind doing this if this applies to your work place?

I finished work about 3 weeks before I was meant to. I just couldn't cope with the work load, what thay expected me to do and as I had a bad back- I had just had enough! The doc signed me off no problem and I had physio.

At the time I felt guilty about leaving so much earlier but now I am so glad I did, it was making me miserable.

And I had no risk assesment at all.

And I don't know if I should write this but..can you believe I work for the NHS in a very high risk area!

I hope you manage to get something sorted with your employers, make sure you look after yourself, it is so important!

Good luck and all the best xxx

Agrree with lorie.

Worked right up to the birth of DS but took 3 wks holiday before DD and noticed the difference in the recovery from labour etc with DD because my theory is that I was more relaxed and physically prepared.

I would try and start my ML early if I was you.

at your mean employers.

imo I would finish work earlier than anticipated. Your health and the baby's health is more important. I know of 2 friends who recently got put on the sick due to pregnancy issues. One actually had baby early at around 30 weeks.

I understand that some people feel they will then struggle having to start mat leave early but it depends on whats important for you.
Having experienced x2 mc, once I fell pregnant with dd it finally hit home with me that I was taking care of this baby until she was born and dh could then help out...therefor I shouldn't be risking myself or my baby. BTW I finished work at around 28 weeks. I took hol's then mat leave. The stress of travelling and my job wasn't worth the risk.

Hope you get things sorted soon. xx

btw, noticed you said you have no hols left...you should by law be entitled for holidays while on mat leave.... For example at my place we had/earned around 2/3 days a month for hols so as your mat leave is around 6 months I gained 12 days hols while on mat leave. This could then be taken paid or in time. I would look into this as if you do get this then you could have around 2 weeks hols to take before mat leave or at end of mat leave..???

Wilkie, I'm really sorry you are going through this. I had something similar in my job (which I left over 3 years ago when DS1 was born). I had a boss who was a real bully and didn't like it when "her staff" got pg (she tended to hire female in their late 20s - what was she expecting?). After a particularly nasty comment when I was 27 weeks pregnant I had a show and started having contractions (poss due to UTI). I managed to keep DS1 in until he was 31 weeks (with complete bed rest).

The upshot of my story is to let you know that it is far more important to look after yourself and your baby.

I am certainly not an expert on maternity rights but it sounds as though they would have a case to answer to. You have had the meetings and voiced your concerns - I would suggest calling the body (I think it might be maternity alliance) and finding out your legal position. They were a great help to me. Fortunately my work were so scared of being sued that they paid out fully and even allowed me to continue my maternity leave when DS2 came along and I haven't been back to work since.

Good luck!! But I stress again that it is not worth risking yours or the babies health.

Thank you all so much for your messages. I think I have scared them a little as they called in the HR consultancy firm today so see where they stand.

TYpically, they called me into a meeting to tell me 'they didn't HAVE to pay me anything but were willing to use the director's discretion to pay me the 3 days I had off' - read between the lines, we f*cked up and know it but won't admit it. They need a letter from my GP to say my UTI was pregnancy related (why I have no idea). They then said that they would be writing to me so they had an 'official' record of what has been discussed.

It just makes me cross that it takes me having to go into hospital for them to do something. One of the directors is barely speaking to me! It's not as though I am being unreasonable, I only want to be supported and get what I am entitled to!!!!!

I totally agree with everyone that me and baby are most important in this but I also want to be able to enjoy the time I have on mat leave with my little one and not be worrying about money and having to return to work too soon. It's so hard to balance.

Not going back after mat leave - if they are this bad before the baby, iamgine if I needed time off if baby was poorly???!!!!!!