Had enough of work at 17 weeks!!

[Trixie101]

Just had a blazing row with them at work and now I am sat here in the office crying my eyes out and don't know what to do. I was looking for other employment before I fell pregnant and then once I fell pregnant decided to stay, I am now nearly 18 weeks pregnant and don't feel I can carry on with this job as I am getting so down about it and I am worried for the welfare of not only me but my unborn baby.

I don't know whether 18 weeks is too late to look for another job I know I won't get SMP but did see you could get maternity allowance I just don't know what to do anymore, I feel so down because I feel like I am discriminated here because I am pregnant, but with my hormones added I just can't carry on anymore I just want to walk out of here and not look back!!

I would look into it first, I changed jobs at 10 weeks pregnant and wasn't entitled to a penny!

Look into it first, but remember in the meantime your gp can sign you off sick if needed. Crying in the office because you've been treated badly sounds pretty awful and more than grounds for going off with stress.

Being signed off work due to stress is a good place to start so you’ve don’t lose your smp entitlement by starting a new job but bear in mind a employer can ask/make you to start your smp early if you take too much time off sick. Personally for the sake of smp I’d try and stick it out at work until you’re ready to take maternity. Hope you manage to sort it out x

As PP ^^ - get signed off with stress before quitting, always.

However - if it helps to have further info, I was temping when I found out I was pregnant with my first, so no one single employer. I got the full Maternity Allowance, I believe the terms were that you had to have been working for at least 26 weeks out of the previous 66, and be earning over a (low) threshold, but not qualify with a current employer for SMP, which perfectly described my circumstances. Check the gov.uk website to see the current terms.

MA is the same as SMP, but you miss out on the first six weeks of 90% of your normal salary and of courses you don't have a guaranteed job to return to afterwards - i had to go job hunting after maternity leave. Do you think your current work is sufficiently detrimental to your mental health to make that hit worth it?

Like others have said, I'd recommend getting yourself signed off for a few weeks. It'll do you the world of good and you will probably feel ready to return to work after a break.

Depending on your employer, the earliest you can go on mat leave is 29 weeks, but could also sneak in a couple of weeks holiday before hand if you've got any left which would make it, say... 27 weeks? Might make it a bit more bareable knowing you won't be there as long :)

What did you row about?