Paid time for appointments

[pumpkinbump]

Hi all, just a quick question. I left work for an hour today as I had to have whooping cough vaccination. Does this get included on the reasonable time off for pregnancy related appointments?

Many thanks

It should do, yes.

It probably depends on your employer, tell them it was antenatal and leave it at that. and if they question it just tell them you have to have the vaccine within certain time frame and thats the only time you could go. If it was only an hour it wouldn't be the end of the world if you had to work an extra hour if your boss is really being that picky.

Yes, that should be included. You wouldn't be getting the vaccine if you weren't pregnant, so it is counted as antenatal care. If your boss kicks up a fuss just ring your GP/midwife and ask for a letter to confirm that you were advised to get the vaccine because you're pregnant.

Yes all pregnancy related appointments are paid for xx

Yes, even though it was an injection it is still a pregnancy related/antenatal care appointment.

Yes, it's included because you wouldn't be having it if you weren't pregnant.

Thank you all. I've emailed HR and apparently if it's a gp appointment then it doesn't count. I think I'll just leave it rather than make a fuss about it.

Hmm, I'm not sure about that but if you don't want to make a fuss then there's nothing that can be done.

Pumpkin Your HR are wrong. It definitely does count. Any antenatal appt that is recommended on the advice of your doctor or midwife counts. This can include everything from routine midwife appts, to vaccinations, to parenting classes! You can find more info about this from Maternity Action. I totally get why you may not want to make a big deal out of it but your HR are telling you the wrong information unfortunately and they should really bloody know better.

@pumpkinbump your HR dept are 100% wrong. This is all part of your care and therefore pregnancy related. Don't let them get away with it.

Every appointment I attend (even the dentist) is paid where I work.

Thats wrong! Don't let them get away with it Hun you have rights xxx

I don't know where I would start to question it. I might email them back and tell them that it was pregnancy related. I'm wary of printing anything off on the Web in case there are different policies for different companies.

The law is the law. There are no different rules for different companies.

You are 100% entitled to that time off as pregnancy related.

Definitely email and explain that it is pregnancy related. The law is that you have paid time off for antenatal care, and the vaccine is antenatal care.

Ok, thank you all. I will email them back and tell them this and see what they say.

www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

Here are your rights. In both of my pregnancies I had paid time off for midwife appointments, pregnancy related doctors appointments, whooping cough vaccine, scans, glucose tolerance test, physio for pgp and hydrotherapy for pgp. This all falls under antenatal care. I would not have needed any of those appointments had i not been pregnant and that's the deciding factor.

Your HR are wrong (I used to work in HR and have had 2 pregnancies with 2 separate employers, this is the law). Maternity Action would be able to assist if your work push back.

Having had lots of appointments in both pregnancies I have however always tried to organise appointments at the beginning/end of the working day so to minimise disruption.

Of course it counts! Stick up for yourself :-) Make them pay you! :)

ps, know how you feel because I have had the same feeling but really, the future of the human race is dependent upon pregnant women so they should let you off an hour!

Good luck :-)
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