Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Appointment with midwife (work drama)

25 replies

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 21:37

So I had my 28 week app with midwife on Wednesday.. I told work and naturally they gave me the day off. Had blood work done and the usual stuff (blood pressure, feeling baby etc) everything seemed fine and the next day, my day off, I had a call to go back to repeat my blood test as there was a problem with the sample. I went back and the midwife tried twice in my arms and twice in my hands but all my veins collapsed and I was pretty fed up by this time so was sent away and told to come back tomorrow and make sure to drink more water. I left the clinic and was pretty shook up, I rang work to tell them I wouldn't be in the next day as I have to go back.. team leader said it was fine and take care of myself and baby.
So anyways blood test went okay and I'm awaiting results now and I went back for my next shift in work. I was called into the office by my boss to do a Back to Work form which goes over sick day policy, was told I had used 4 out my 8 sick days and she said if my pregnancy is difficult I would be going on maternity leave earlier as they 'still have a business to run'
I left the office quite upset.. firstly the baby is the main priority here and i would not hesitate to put baby before work. Secondly I was asked by my midwife to go back so isn't that classed as a antenatal appointment?- which by law they have to give you the time off. Not use a sick day..

What's your thoughts? It's been on my mind all day and I'm thinking of having a word with her tomorrow about it

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

EducatingArti · 26/05/2019 21:39

I think they are antenatal appointments, but did you need to take a full day off each time?
Can your union advise you?

trinity0097 · 26/05/2019 21:39

Why did you need a full day off for a short appointment? To be fair I can see why your employer might get irritated.

dementedpixie · 26/05/2019 21:41

No they shouldn't have counted it as a sick day. Plus they can't start maternity leave early unless you are off with a pregnancy related illness in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy.

dementedpixie · 26/05/2019 21:42

How long are your shifts? Do you really need a full day for each appointment?

Original poster

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 21:43

@EducatingArti @trinity0097 I didn't take the whole day off, my shift that day was a morning shift and I didn't know I would not be able to make it in for it until the day before. They could of swapped my shift over with someone else but instead just told me not to come in. My shift was 7-12 that day and my app with midwife was at 11

OP posts:

Twickerhun · 26/05/2019 21:44

They have to give you reasonable time off - was the whole shift reasonable?

EducatingArti · 26/05/2019 21:45

So you could have gone in from 7:00 am till 10:00am?

Original poster

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 21:46

@dementedpixie oooh thanks, I did not know that about the last 4 weeks of pregnancy!

I'll be leaving at 32 weeks as I have holidays to take up first then I'll be starting my actual leave at 34 weeks

OP posts:

Original poster

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 21:46

@EducatingArti yes I could have, but they told me not to come in at all

OP posts:

seven201 · 26/05/2019 21:56

If you're off with pregnancy related sickness after 34 weeks then your mat leave can automatically kick in. That's what happened to me. I do think it's really odd how they've wanted you to miss a whole shift instead of just leaving early or whatever. I guess it must be a business reason where they can't have someone missing at all?

Gillian1980 · 26/05/2019 21:56

I’d ring ACAS for advice on how to communicate with work about this.

They have to keep any pregnancy sick days entirely separate from “normal” sick days by law. They have to allow reasonable time off for all antenatal appointments.... it could be argued that a whole shift is unreasonable, but you say that they made that decision?

They cannot force you to start maternity leave early on medical grounds this early. They have to make reasonable adjustments etc.

dementedpixie · 26/05/2019 21:58

It's not after 34 weeks, it's 36 weeks

Original poster

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 22:05

I agree if it wasn't pregnancy related then I should use a sick day but since it was and also the fact my midwife asked me to come back, surely that's to go back to continue an antenatal appointment. Ive only ever had 1 other day off work for pregnancy related sickness and that was when my morning sickness got to the point of every time I moved I would vomit

OP posts:

Fundays12 · 26/05/2019 22:05

An employer can force maternity leave from 36 weeks. They legally must count pregnancy sickness differently as it’s discrimination not too.

They also must give you reasonable time off. I would have said if you took full days off that’s unreasonable but if they told you to take them it’s reasonable as they have decided to offer it. If they say told you to take one full day off then you took the other two days off in full it’s fair to say those last 2 days could be considered unreasonable.

Heyha · 26/05/2019 22:08

You're entitled to time off for appointments but that wouldn't normally require a full day...on the other hand if you did have it as a sick day then pregnancy-related absence can't be counted against you either so either way they can't do anything formal. I can see why they'd be annoyed at you missing a whole shift for a 30 minute appointment 3 days on the bounce, though.
As @dementedpixie says they can't make you go off until 36 weeks. I think you probably need to book in with the boss to discuss the return to work form you've completed, take a printed copy of the rules with you from ACAS or maternity action etc.

Original poster

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 22:10

@Fundays12 Wednesday my shift was 1-5 and I had the MW app so she took me out of my shift completely, thursday was automatically my day off (the day my veins collapsed) then Friday was the day I was meant to be 7-12 and they said not to come in.

I believe because I had rang them on the Thursday morning they may not of had enough time to ring someone else up to see if they could swap with me etc..

I just don't think it's fair it's being classed as a sick day and I believe it should be antenatal appointment

OP posts:

dementedpixie · 26/05/2019 22:10

She didn't take time off 3 days in a row as the middle day was her day off

Original poster

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 22:14

I'm going to discuss it with my boss tomorrow at work, either way I'll have to say something to get a solution 😂

Thank you anyways for the advice

OP posts:

TSSDNCOP · 26/05/2019 22:16

Why do you need entire days off? Can you not book appts after your shift?

Employers have to allow midwife appointments and they cannot count pregnancy related illness in your sick day count. They and you can trigger your maternity leave early due to illness/complications.

Original poster

PhoebeBear · 26/05/2019 22:45

@TSSDNCOP as I said before I didn't want to have to miss my entire shift but they told me just not to come in, rather than swapping a shift with someone for a later on.
Also 11am was the only time my midwife would be working in the clinic to be able to see me an she's on call after that. She needed the blood test done ASAP as in transferring hospitals

OP posts:

Bol87 · 26/05/2019 23:10

Tricky one, my employer are thankfully a joy to work for in terms of flexibility but for midwife appointments etc, I was expected in around the appointment. I work a typical 9-5 day. They obviously told you not to go in but perhaps next time say you’ll be in but need to finish early off your own back? They should make a reasonable allowance for unforeseen hospital appointments.. but again, I was expected to work around them unless I was unwell. For example, I had a diabetic test & I was allowed the morning off for it but went in for the afternoon.

Probably with speaking to HR & your manager about what they reasonably expect. If you have an appointment mid-shift, can you come in & make the time up or even if you just go in for 2/3 hours of it, is that OK for them.. I always think better to know expectations & take it from there! If it’s discriminatory, then you can follow the appropriate channels!

Beeseeinya · 26/05/2019 23:21

My work maternity policy specifies I'm allowed up to 6.5 hours off for ante natal appointments, and this can include travel time. My trips to hospital for scans are about a 3 hour round trip so I do end up taking nearly a whole day. Worth seeing if your work has a written policy of their own.

Get a note from the midwife confirming your appointment and reiterating that they are mandatory/emergency antenatal care. This type of leave cannot be recorded as sick and cannot be used to trigger sickness quotas or assessments. Whether it's on the system as ante natal, or as pregnancy related illness, either way, it cannot trigger quotas or interventions. My boss tried to do this until I pointed her to the legal guidance. Don't rely on employers knowing the rules, I've learned to read up on it myself as they can be clueless!

Heyha · 26/05/2019 23:23

Missed the bit about the middle day being day off, apologies, but even if they do class it as sick day (which they shouldn't) they still can't count what they're calling a sick day against you because it's pregnancy-related. If you point that out to them they'll likely back off, they're just hoping to worry you into doing what they want you to do!

Fundays12 · 27/05/2019 09:31

They decided to give you the day off so I would have said it’s reasonable. Do you have a HR department? If so call them as you were not sick you had an appointment which they choose to give you the day off for. They can’t penalise you for it or record it as sick.

Darkstar4855 · 27/05/2019 10:08

They can’t give it as sick time when it’s pregnancy related. Ask them why it’s sick time when you weren’t ill! You are legally entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments and that is what it should come under. Also point out that they were the ones who told you not to come in for a few hours before the appointment.

Also as PP said they can’t force you onto maternity leave before you are 36 weeks pregnant so don’t worry about that.

Flip

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

Join Mumsnet Log In

This thread is closed and is no longer accepting replies. Click here to start a new thread.