Calling in sick

[DannyWallace]

Sorry if this is a long one, but I need some advice. I'm 15 weeks tomorrow.
I applied for 2 new (part time jobs) just before I found out I was pregnant-I actually found out when I was being sick in my last job after I'd handed in my notice. I've been honest with both jobs about this pregnancy.
One job (the main one) is a government job and office based. the other is in a well known British shop and is very physical. I'm finding the shop job really hard at the minute and am actually often ending up in pain after. I'm just told to "do what I can".
Yesterday (while at the office job) I started being very sick. I had terrible morning sickness in the first trimester so I just thought that might be coming back a bit. However after a small lunch I had bad diarrhoea. They were lovely and told me to go home to bed.
I'm meant to be at the shop today. No diarrhoea again but I've been sick this morning and my upper stomach feels so crampy (like I've got a bad stomach bug). I've called in sick to the shop job as I feel like a physically can't do heavy lifting today when I feel like this. I only called in sick 40 mins before I was due to start as I hadn't been sick by that point so hoped I could just see how I was feeling once I was there.
I'm quite worried about a few things. I know legally they can't discriminate because I'm pregnant, but I've called in sick when I've only been in the job 6 weeks.
Sorry for the long post...I'm just sitting here with a sore stomach and splitting headache and am feeling sorry for myself.

Pregnancy sickness doesn't count as sickness I don't think, doesn't look great though. Are you staying at your office job now? What will happen with maternity pay?

@Livinglavidal0ca basically I applied for the office job months ago (part time role). I decided that if I got the job I would look for another part time job just to keep my wage up.
After being offered the office job the background checks took forever and I fell pregnant during that time. As I was given my hours when I was offered the job I applied for the shop job and started both jobs at the same time (in early pregnancy).
I planned to keep both jobs as they work well around each other.
Not sure if it's pregnancy sickness or D&V bug. I never called in sick in first trimester, always managed to go in x

Also no idea about maternity pay but as I started them both after I fell pregnant I don't think I'm entitled to anything.
I never expected to be in this situation

Pregnancy sickness definitely does count as sickness where I work.

Check the maternity policy for a steer in how they treat sickness during pregnancy but I doubt you'll be entitled to statutory maternity pay as you'll not have been there for 26 weeks by the 15th week before the due week but they can give you a form to claim maternity allowance from the job centre.

They will want to be very careful how they treat you due to potential discrimination.

Sickness is sickness, so it will count but I think what a PP means is that for any dismissal or redundancy as part of policy or procedural processes, it won't be used to discriminate against you. I.e if usually having any sickness in the first 6 weeks would mean termination of the contract, if this sickness was for pregnancy or disability, the organisation would need to adapt this policy to avoid it being discriminatory so it would be logged as absence, but it wouldn't lead to dismissal (for example)

Thanks all.
Yeah I'm hoping I will be entitled to some form of Maternity allowance, but I'm not counting on it.
Just can't believe I've had to call in sick! Absolutely gutted!!!

I'm 31 weeks pregnant and also work in a shop. My employer (a very well know British retailer) has been hit & miss with regards to my pregnancy. One thing they have been good at is stopping the heavy lifting. They carried out a risk assessment and stopped me working fruit & veg/ other main departments. I now work tills, flowers and cards. Could you ask to do something similar? I have found it helps on days I'm feeling ill knowing I can sit down on the till rather than lifting/ moving around. Regarding your sickness, I've also called in sick more times than normal. They have got a bit stern with me but what can you do? I'm physically being sick or up all night. They also tried to stop me attending antenatal appointments but luckily a manager stepped in and said they couldn't. I do feel for you and remember your baby is more important than any job

@FabLaura luckily my midwife appointments are not on the days I'm at the shop, and the office job are definitely fine with me having appointments off when I need them.

However, I'm in a heavy section too-I've just been told not to do things I feel I am not able to, and they will put me on tills later on. However I work one shift completely alone so if I don't do the lifting it just doesn't get done. I think I'll have to speak to my manager again as to lift and carry a lot of the heavy stuff I actually have to hold it into my stomach and I'm not really willing to do that anymore....

On any sicknote if it says pregnancy related illness it cannot by law go towards any 'normal' sickness record

Queen, of course it can. I had 6 days absence related to pregnancy last year and my record will obviously show I was absent from work because I was ill those days. If considering me for a promotion against another colleague with no sickness record, they couldn't discriminate against me buy taking my preg sickness into account but of course it's recorded...

By*

I started a new job when I was 11 weeks and wasn't entitled to any maternity at all! As for the sickness if you're really worried try and get a sick note if you're off more than 7 days, then they can't do much, my managers were understanding but company themselves were awful and desperately trying to get rid of me but they can't if sickness is pregnancy related.

I’ve been signed off by my GP for Two weeks - I work full time for local authority. I’m 15 weeks pregnant and since 8 weeks have had horrendous sickness and exhaustion to the point of me developing ulcers due to being run down and vomiting. up until this point I had been trying to go in each day as I was so worried about getting in to trouble for being off or letting people down. It did help to get signed off as opposed to self certifying sickness so perhaps consider that, as calling in sick can cause anxiety in itself.

I had 2 jobs during my pregnancy and had terrible hg so was signed off from both for around 6-8 weeks. Don't worry, you will not be the first person who has needed to call in sick or ask for adaptations to be made. Do what you need to do and put your baby and yourself first. My lo arrived at 29 weeks so I suddenly needed to go on mat leave then and I was writing the blooming minutes from a meeting while in labour!! It's amazing how little work matters at all once your lo is here so look after yourself xx