AIBU on legalities with work and pregnancy

[Jennyrenren]

I work a busy job on my feet all day, I'm a vet surgeon so a 40-50 hour week on my feet it the norm and my average day is 10-12 hours (I get a half day on Thursday)

Staffing at the moment is currently tight and we're all working our asses off trying to get things done. I am however 21 weeks pregnant and the workload is really getting to be a bit much - it's the kind of job that's just impossible to 'do less' whilst you're at work, if it needs doing you get on and do. When you're sat eating lunch if a client comes in/nurse needs a hand/patient needs checking you're back up and resting doesn't happen - I've tried to do less on the job but it doesn't happen!!

I'm really foggy on where I stand with requesting to reduce my hours or if I'm being really unreasonable to want to do so prior to maternity leave... anyone else have any experience??

I don't have experience of reducing hours but i think you can ask for a workplace health and safety assessment to be done

I'm a schoolteacher so fairly similar in that the hours of the job are 10-12 a day and you can't really 'do less'. Do you have a HR department or at least rep? A meeting to discuss what is reasonable would probably be my first choice. I'm lucky with where the school holidays fall so didn't have to make much fuss but if I did I would have gone through HR and referred to my risk assessment.

Where I work reducing your hours will effect your maternity pay. You must work full time up to leaving for maternity or you will only receive maternity pay that reflects the reduced hours you worked before you left.

Your workplace should have done a risk assessment. This allows you to discuss things like having access to seating if you work on your feet all day, more rest breaks if needed, carrying/lifting, exposure to harmful substances etc.

In a vet’s I’d say that most of those would be issues they have to address and work out some alternatives.

If the risk assessment doesn’t change anything or they are dismissive of your concerns you may have to contact a union rep (if you have one). If you don’t you could contact ACAS who give free workplace advice. They can tell you what your employer is required to do to help you.

Reducing your hours now might feel like the easier option but you risk reducing your maternity pay. There are qualifying weeks that are used as the basis to calculate your maternity entitlement. If you are paid less on that period,you’ll be paid less maternity pay.

The tight staffing levels are the company’s issue and not yours personally. I had a very frank discussion with my boss on this subject too.

I don’t think it’s unreasonable at all for you to want to reduce your workload a bit at this point. In a few months they’re not going to have you there at all!

The above post gives very sensible advice

As stated your work place needs to do an assessment and make reasonable adjustments which is possible even in a vets practice. You need to raise your concerns with your manager, explain you need adjustments and it's only going to get tougher. Reducing your hours won't make a difference if the adjustments are not made.
I know the feeling of sense of responsibility to help the team etc but that's a management issue and they need to address staffing problems

If you can, don't reduce house before 25 weeks. Qualifying period for calculating maternity pay is 17 to 25 weeks.

Hmmm in my school it'saverage pay for the 13 weeks before mat leave begins so not sure if that follows for everyone!

@surreygirl1987 is that for company or SMP? For SMP it a specific time period up in the weeks leading up to your qualifying week which in turn is a given amount of weeks before your EDD. Sure they can't alter that unless you get an elevated rate of company maternity pay

Yes, it's company mat pay for me - I work in a private school who thankfully give generous maternity pay so I don't get SMP. Don't think OP specified?

I am also a vet and 37 weeks pregnant, know exactly how you feel doing long day and weekends.

I tried my best to cope but it was impossible, had awful HG and all the normal pregnancy ailments. I got a Drs note saying I needed amended hours and they arranged for me to have my midweek time off on a Wednesday (so I only ever had to do 2 days in a row) and half a day off before and after working the weekend.

Pregnancy is very hard as a vet (not to undermine other professions in any way, I just have no experience of anything else!). Worried about radiation from xrays, anaesthetic gasses, toxo from cats, many drugs you shouldn't handle, long hours, heavy lifting, having to be on your feet all day, emergencies as well as routine appointments.

I agree to be careful with your SMP but they absolutely have to make adjustments for you to take into consideration your pregnancy. Ask them if they will reduce your salary for changing your hours because it does say on the government website that if they can't reduce risks they have to suspend you on full pay so it's better for them to just cut back your hours a bit. www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights

ps, you might get enhanced maternity pay but this is virtually unheard of in veterinary. Worth an ask :-)

Speak to your CD - reasonable adjustments may include less time in theatre, a break midway through a consulting block etc. Work out what you think may help and present that to them.

Regards: lunch can you leave the building for a bit? Go for a walk, go out for lunch, sit in the car and read a book?