Being signed of work due to anxiety

[Mumtotwoandoneontheway]

Wondering if anyone can help, I’m 20weeks pregnant and a support worker for adults with learning disabilities. Today whilst at work I was dealing with quite challenging behaviour verbally and physically. This has caused me to come home and have several panic attacks. My risk assessment has already been completed and my employers are aware of the situation I can face on a daily basis at work. Also to top it off I have a condition called low papp-a which in itself is dangerous to have high blood pressure/deal with stress. I’m just wonder if it might be worth going to the gp and asking to be signed off and the thought of going in again is making me feel sick 😩

Get signed off. Look after yourself and your baby.

Have your workplace done a risk assessment op? It doesnt sound very safe for you

They have done a risk assessment. All they’ve said is I can’t lone work but they’ve put me on a 9hr shift tomorrow on my own with the person with challenging behaviour 😩 the challenging behaviour is so quick to happen and there are no triggers. I’m really not sure what to do for the best. I only work part time so I feel like abit of a fraud for getting a sick note but I’ve generally had nightmares about it all 😣

Well your risk assessment says you cant work alone so i would definitley not do that shift!

I would ask for your risk assessment to be revised and refuse to do anything that goes against it (such as working alone). You cannot be disciplined for following your risk assessment. I’ve found you have to stick up for yourself a bit.

Talk to maternity action or your union too for additional support. I’ve found work to suddenly be more helpful since I said I had involved them.

You shouldn't be exposed to potential harm whilst pregnant, your risk assessment needs to be re done I'd say and in the Jean time get signed off, anything pregnancy related cannot be held against you on your medical record xx

I was signed off due to anxiety in my first trimester as I kept spotting and cramping in work (I have a very physical job). Doctors took it very seriously and helped me access local mental health support services so they will definitely sign you off if you explain your situation.

As PP have said, do not go in if they are putting you in a situation that goes directly against your risk assessment. You cannot put yourself in that position, it doesn't matter if you're part time or not.

You deserve to be protected, as does your baby. When I felt bad about being signed off someone said to me 'whilst you can make decisions around putting yourself at risk or not, your baby can't make those decisions so you need to protect it no matter how guilty you feel about work'. Harsh but true! Hope it all gets sorted. Don't forget you do have some control on this xx

I’m sorry you have this worry OP. Absolutely ask for your risk assessment to be redone as it doesn’t sound safe. Are some of people you work with physically unpredictable? Is there a different role they could move you to?

I ended up being signed off for a while in pregnancy. I wasn’t expecting to be and went to the GP with two separate issues and he suggested I was signed off for a while. It took me by surprise but was a massive relief.

I was signed off by my GP for anxiety for 8 weeks. They were so nice and understanding, they basically said with covid and everything it's totally normal for anxiety to be affecting everyone right now. They even put the cause of sickness as 'pregnancy related' so I didn't have to tell work it was anxiety (although I did anyway) so yeah go for it OP