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

1 2 3

Original poster

Work problems

72 replies

jellyjem · 26/09/2007 09:51

This is a what would you do question really.

I'm 25 weeks and absolutely worn out working, mainly from the commute. I leave my house at 8:00am every day, walk 15 minutes to the train station and then have another 15 minute walk the other end when I get off plus the same again when I go home. I don't get home until nearly 7:00pm.

Its killing me, I get leg cramps, the stitch right across my bump and my heart pounds like I've been running a marathon. All this is made worse because I can't sleep at night, I just can't get comfortable.

I've aske my boss if I could work through half my lunch hour and shift my hours slightly starting work 15 minutes later and leaving 15 minutes earlier which would mean I could catch an earlier train home and would be in at about 6:15pm instead of nearly 7:00pm. He won't hear of it. Told me theres no way as we're short staffed at the moment.

I have an appointment with my midwife on Friday, does anyone know if she would be able to force my company to reduce my hours. I still have at least 6 weeks at work before I go on maternity leave and I'm really worried what all this is doing to the baby.

Sorry about the misserable me, me post but I feel so tired and emotional with all this I could just sit down and cry today.

OP posts:

hanaflower · 01/10/2007 15:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RGPargy · 01/10/2007 15:59

Sounds like your boss is being deliberately awkward because he's an arsehole.

Whizzz · 01/10/2007 16:03

standing on a step, lifting heavy files..... thats what the risk assessment is supposed to control! I started a thread on the Employment section with info from the HSE
here

Original poster

jellyjem · 01/10/2007 16:10

Thanks girls, he is an arse but the real problem is my director who should know better as his wife had a baby not long ago. Could be worse, at least he's not my other half I can just imagine how sympathetic he must have been when he wife felt ill.

Whizzzz - I'll have a look at the link, thanks.

Jem x

OP posts:

RibenaBerry · 01/10/2007 16:12

Well, if the midwife can't write the note, the GP or consultant needs to. IME in HR, if you are clear about what you want and why, doctors are normally happy to write you a note to that effect!

I know that you shouldn't have to put up with any of this, but we're alll here to help you and you need to muster all your courage and stand up for yourself and your bump. Maybe if you got signed off they'd realise what a good thing they were missing!

Whizzz · 01/10/2007 16:14

To clarify - the risk assessment should look at your whole job - highlight any areas of concern to your health/safety (ie needing to lift heavy objects etc) & then agree what can be done to reduce the risk to you (ie avoid lifting, provide trolleys etc to help you carry stuff about etc)

Original poster

jellyjem · 01/10/2007 16:37

We've got a trolley and a step for lifting things off the high shelves, but the problem is the actual lifting and they don't help with that. Appart from anything else just the physical lifting, stretching and reaching makes me hot and sweaty and my head starts to spin. Thats not good is it. I'm rubbish at standing up for myself but I'm really not going to do anymore filing as it makes me feel so awful.

Hopefully HR will support me.

OP posts:

flowerybeanbag · 01/10/2007 16:42

jj just seen this again. HR should support you if they are half-decent.
In any event do not do any more stretching, lifting or standing on anything except the floor, it's just not worth it.
A good risk assessment should sort this out but if not or if anyone puts you under pressure to do these things just go straight to the GP, tell him all this and ask him to sign you off. He will.

Original poster

jellyjem · 01/10/2007 16:51

Flowery - I won't I promise, its not worth the risk.

OP posts:

Original poster

jellyjem · 03/10/2007 12:22

Just thought I'd give you all an update.

I had my risk assessment yesterday and Nicky in HR was brilliant. Said the same as you lot, no way should I even attempt to do the filing and its not my problem to worry about it, its up to my boss and the director to sort something out.

She also managed to sort out my hours and stopped me feeling so guilty about it. Said I was being perfectly reasonable and that most women by the time they get to my stage in pregnancy do this. I think I shocked her when I told her the attitude I'd been getting from my boss and the director. I told her I felt really victimised and she wrote it all down and promised to have a word with my director.

I'd heard nothing all day yesterday and thought I was going to have more problems but just as I was putting on my coat to go home the director came up to me and told me my hours had been approved, you should have seen the look on his face, I could tell it was choking him to back down . Nothings been confimed about the filing yet but I'm just going to leave it and I have HR's backing now if my evil boss complains.

Thanks again for all the support, you really made me realise I wasn't just been lazy and this was a genuine, honest problem. I've made a pact with myself from now on I'm going to stop being such a wimp.

Jem x

OP posts:

RibenaBerry · 03/10/2007 12:30

Hurrah. Hooray for you and the nice HR lady!

Hope things go well, but if you have any more problems then pop over to the Employment board and we'll sort you out!

Original poster

jellyjem · 03/10/2007 12:38

Thanks RB, I will

OP posts:

widgetsmummy · 03/10/2007 12:45

Yay yay yay! Good for you JellyJem!

Hope things continue positively and enjoy the rest of your pg!!

ClaphamLauren · 03/10/2007 13:37

Had no idea it's possible to shuffle hours due to pregnancy. I currently get a 7:25am train to work and arrive home at about 7:10pm - it's a bloody long day!

However, colleague has recently gone off on mat leave at 32 weeks and she didn't reduce her hours at all apart from leaving early 1 day a week for yoga. Could they use this against me!?

Well done on getting HR to sort you out Jem, hope the tiredness eases up for you. Thanks for starting the thread too, answered loads of my questions!

positive · 03/10/2007 13:49

well done jellyjem,

you sound much more upbeat already. you can now enjoy your pregnancy without having to worry so much about work and you have someone on your side from HR who you know you can speak with if you have any other worries work wise.

great to hear that its all worked out for you

positive · 03/10/2007 13:55

CL,

if you look at the employment issues section there is a thread called health and safety for new and expenctant mothers.
I've found that there are people on this section who work in HR and can help out if you want to start a thread of your own.

If you haven't had a risk assessment done yet - ask for one - I'm hoping to get mine organised for next week. If you read the thread I mentioned it about it links to the HSE website - if i've read it correctly then at your RA your employer needs to consider the stress caused by travelling to work eg at peak times.

Hope this is of some help

Original poster

jellyjem · 03/10/2007 13:58

ClaphamL - do it, get a risk assessment done, I wish I'd insisted on it earlier. Good luck in sorting something out.

Jem x

OP posts:

flowerybeanbag · 03/10/2007 19:00

Hoorah! Marvellous! Don't you all just love HR people really...?

ClaphamLauren get yourself a risk assessment done - those hours are pretty horrendous during pregnancy.

Someone else not changing their hours is nothing to do with you, don't worry about that, every pregnancy is different.

Only thing to bear in mind is that if your hours are reduced it is obviously likely to affect your pay, so rejigging them somehow might be a better bet depending on whether that's possible - working more from home, going in later or whatever.

Also depending on how pregnant you are, if you reduce your pay quite early on, it may well affect your maternity pay as well.

As positive says, do start a thread on Employment if you want some more specific help.

Original poster

jellyjem · 05/10/2007 14:09

I had to just come on and tell the the latest.

My lovely HR friend sent an email to my boss and director detailing what I'm not to do, ie lifting heavy loads, standing on steps, streching, bending, etc. My director has just gone through it with me stressing to me that I shouldn't do any of this (like I'd even try anyway . He finished up by doing this enormous sigh and said "HR were making a mountain out of a molehill, they're such fascists". I was that shocked I felt my mouth fall open and I don't know how I didn't burst out laughing. This is from a guy who is usually really careful about what he says so I know its really wound him up.

OP posts:

flowerybeanbag · 05/10/2007 14:12

What a doughnut your boss is. And he ought to be careful a) calling employees fascists and b) implying that your H&S is not of paramount importance....

Original poster

jellyjem · 05/10/2007 14:23

Flowery - I still can't believe it either, just shows how annoyed he is about this. The company I work for is really careful about all this kind of stuff (usually) too so he'd be in sooo much trouble if anyone else found out. Maybe I should start the gossip mills going(grin).

Thanks again for giving me the confidence to complain about my problems, I feel so much happier at work now.

OP posts:

lightwind · 05/10/2007 20:06

I'm so glad things have worked out for you, jellyjem. I hope more mumsnetters get revved up by your experience and stand up for themselves (hee hee I'm on my soapbox) - whether its to do with issues relating to pregnancy, childcare or anything really. Well done for gathering up the wherewithal to confront your boss and director and getting a really positive result (still feel they need to go on an Equal Opps training course though - maybe you could suggest that to your pal in HR. As to fascism in your workplace - hmmm, well, we all know who the real fascists have been (maybe its your director's subconscious projecting his view of himself on to HR!)

Flip

1 2 3