Appointments during work hours

[lelrx]

Hello!
Just after some advice please!
I have had some time of work due to having really bad pain and bleeding during this pregnancy which I don't get paid for. I am under consultant care due to having a heart condition which means I have alot of extra appointments to attend, this week (Thursday) I had an appointment for a 24 heart monitor to be put on, the hospital require this to be taken back the day after at the same time which is stated on my letter as other people need them and they have other appointments they are needed for, I don't have anybody else to return it for me so had to leave work at 11.45 again the day after (normal working hours are 8am-2pm) now I have noticed that these hours have been deducted off my rota for Thursday so I will not get paid for them. I have always been paid for my appointments in the past so how come they haven't this time, I'm abit confused, should I usually be paid?
Thank you x

Yes you should be getting paid for pregnancy related appointments. Do you not get sick pay either? What sort of job is it?

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

No i don't get paid for sickness, I have given work documents for my bleeding and when I was in epu etc and they have been on my case to come back to work, I work for a well known large company as an activity Co ordinator so it's difficult when I'm in pain as I have to walk around a large elderly care home. My employers policy is also to pay for ante natal appointments x

I thought legally they had to pay for appts in relation to pregnancy. I work for a children's charity and my local branch are amazing at giving time off for appts and even sending me home if I'm tired.
I'd look at the link above.

Thank you ladies!
They have been really funny with me for weeks now, it's my first pregnancy I suffer with anxiety and my heart condition and I'm having alot of problems with my back/hips so I have had to have days off where I physically cannot stand and also this week I was in epu and triage for passing blood. I'm already very anxious about baby as it is without work making me feel guilty.
On top of that I have my ante natal apps, echo's and ecg's and apps to see my consultant so it is quite alot but its all due to my pregnancy as they need to ensure my heart condition isn't getting worse due to pregnancy so it may not technically be ante natal but if I wasn't pregnant I wouldn't have the apps. I'm thinking maybe because it's for my heart they assume it's unrelated xx

I'm exactly the same with heart conditions in pregnancy so lots of extra appointments including ecgs and echo etc. My work have been fantastic as they know that I'm having extra checks related to pregnancy.

Maybe ask your midwife for a letter or gp, to make clear that the cardio appointments are related to pregnancy so therefore antenatal necessity.

As others have said, if the appointments are to do with your pregnancy then they have to pay you for them.

I also have "extra baggage" of a serious health condition meaning my pregnancy is automatically classed as high risk and I get extra appointments in addition to the normal ones for my condition. I work in a professional role for a large household name (let's just say) and I could say that I've got an appointment every day and they'd believe me. I've never had to show any letters and all of it is done on trust. My company's policy is just to give you reasonable paid time off for any medical appointments during working hours. If you can they just ask that you get them at the start or end of the day if possible but accept that it's not normally possible so they just work around you. I suppose their attitude is that they'd rather you take a couple of hours paid for appointments rather than take weeks off on paid sick if it gets worse and the "typical" healthy employee probably only has a couple of appointments, if that, per year.

Would you be able to get your midwife or GP to be very specific in their letters that your appointments are related to your pregnancy and therefore legally you need to be paid for it. I'd imagine they'd be able to write it in a way that sounded like it was standard appointment writing rather than because you'd raised it with them.

They can't dock you for anything pregnancy related and also can't ask you to make back the time.

Don't quote me on the second bit but I'm pretty sure

Maybe worth speaking to your hr dept, when I spoke to mine they told me lots of things I didn't know (such as being able to take naps / express in one of our first aid rooms if needed) my work have been fantastic, I do try to get appointments in the morning or later afternoon, but on the days there's a midday appointment I've just worked from home, could this be an option for you if you arrange with hr? I believe it's within your rights to be paid for appointments, but if you also have bad days feeling like you can't come in it might help you too?

Could you not have arranged to take the equipment back after your shift? Also can you ask for some of your appointments in the afternoons?

I can sort of see that they wouldn’t deem the second one as a medical appointment as your were just returning the equipment- however I think if challenged they would probably back down. Most employers can’t argue paid time off for appointments when pregnant.

It should be counted as pregnancy related. I have slightly crap kidneys - past op. They're fine when I'm not pregnant but I had lots of issues with them when pregnant. Every appt or day off I had because of kidneys counted as pregnancy related. Do not let them try and do you out of what is rightfully yours. Maybe ask midwife or gp to write a letter stating all of your visits have been pregnancy related.