Work being slightly difficult

[MollySxx]

So to cut a long story short and I've posted my threads about my struggles with pregnancy losses. But I am now nearly 7 weeks, I had a scan on Thursday that showed heartbeat and was all in line and fine for this stage.

When I found out I was pregnant again I had a slight meltdown, my doctor signed me off work for 2 weeks leading up to my scan so I could rest. I asked to not put on the note pregnancy as I didn't want work knowing incase I had another miscarriage and it's just hard going in and explaining.

My note has now ran out and im back to work tomorrow. I won't give away where I work, but it's a supermarket and it's a LOT of work and the company wants your blood sweat and tears. I've spoke to my boss (she's new) after the scan and I've explained and I've also explained the medication I'm on and it's not your standard straight forward pregnant and all jolly. I've got a note off my doctor to explain light duties and not to work late night shifts. For example you could start at 12:30pm and not be out till 11pm. She's basically dismissed that note and said she didn't need it, and as of late nights she's said I have to. She's unwilling to cater to someone who can't work stock. She's now offered me to be the new cleaner but stay on my contract hours. But then followed with the bins are heavy duty but can I manage. It's really starting to frustrate me because she's not listening at all. She goes 100 miles a minute and I got about 3 words in our conversation. She also said when I have scans and I'm put in work can I get my shift covered before going to her about it. Which is fair. She then followed with its hassle but she'll let me go. Oh thank you for letting me go to my own scan🙄 I'm already dreading going back tomorrow

@TakeYourFinalPosition unfortunately sick pay is awful unless you're higher management for example store manager and higher.

I'm taking my note I have from the gp in tomorrow and see from there. I don't want anyone to think I'm using this as a "get out of jail" card. But when you've had losses in the pass it's not as straight forward as cracking on as normal till you give birth. Lord, I wish it was

[quote MollySxx]@NavigatingAdolescence isn't a doctors note back up for you if push does come to shove and action has to be taken? Like going to the union or HR. Proof is better than no proof in that situation surely [/quote]
Not really. Your GP’s only duty if care is to you so they’ll usually say what the patient wants.

I’ve seen far too many with a different reason for absence than the truth (bad back instead of stress, stress/depression instead of alcoholism/addiction). They aren’t the whole story, and as I say the fit note is advisory (sick notes used not to be). So an employer can require more information (eg from Occ Health) before making adjustments.

Just to add also, the gp fit note is up until I'm 12 weeks also and then I come off my mediation. At most it might be extended till 16 weeks but I haven't got that information from my fertility consultant yet. So this needs of late nights only need to catered to for 5 weeks to keep a routine with taking my medication

@NavigatingAdolescence I just really don't get where you're going with this! It's making little sense to me. So if someone goes in with a broken leg the employer will ignore it and make their own judgement? I just am not understanding

Legally the employer is not bound by a GP fit note. They may not be able to provide alternative work, for example. So yes, if a lorry driver broke their leg, they may not be able to facilitate alternative duties and the individual would have to go off sick.

You keep drip feeding info, which doesn’t help anyone to help you.

In short, your GP has made recommendations of what you need to remain in work. Your employer can request advice of their own (Occ health) if they want to/turn down the recommendations if they can’t accommodate them. There is a risk there that it could be sex discrimination but that can only be tested in court and they may be genuinely unable to make the required adjustments, in which case it wouldn’t be.

I work 9-5. If, due to morning sickness I got my GP to suggest to my boss I could only work 11pm to 7pm my boss wouldn’t be able to accommodate it. That wouldn’t be sex discrimination - nobody could work those hours effectively.

@NavigatingAdolescence I'm not drip feeding! The note states light duties as my main job is heavy duties. No late nights to keep routine with my medications I'm on from my fertility doctor. I've said all that. And my boss not cooperating with night shifts. That's ALL the information. I'm not going into a -22 freezer like I did pre pregnancy just because my boss doesn't want to lose headcount.

I'm not going back and fourth with you when someone who works in HR has commented and given wise advise and you're making silly points. I won't be signed off sick because my boss can cater, she's just choosing not to. That's the point.

NavigatingAdolescence is giving you excellent advice.

You should listen to her instead of being rude.

As I’ve told you, I’m a HR Director. I’ve been doing this nearly 20 years.

You drip fed that it was only a short adjustment on the fit note.

How do you know she can choose something else? The alternative role also includes heavy lifting. She probably doesn’t have budget to have 2 of you on the cleaning role.

What would you do in her shoes?

@NavigatingAdolescence 2 cleaners aren't in store. Our cleaner handed his notice in, so no one is in the role.

Yes. So she is saying she can move you to that which addresses the hours issue, but she can’t only give you the bits you are saying you can do. Who would do the heavy lifting?

@NavigatingAdolescence that's my point. She's trying to work around not doing late shifts by doing the morning clean (only a morning cleaner no night cleaner) so she's expecting me to do that role as cleaner which involves that duty

I know!

You’re saying you can’t do heavy lifting, so who do you think should do it? Not doing it at all isn’t an option.

You’re saying you can’t do the full role if you move. So what is she meant to do? Who should be doing the bits you can’t?

having read through this thread it seems you have received sound advice.

In terms of an appropriate role, I think you mentioned cashier work would be suitable. I don't know how your supermarket works but in my local one many workers there seem to have multiple roles in with they can fill. Can you not suggest that for the short term you could take a full time cashier role which may temporarily make some work other positions a little longer.

Perhaps it's time to train someone up for your bakery position anyway given you will be going on Mat lave?

Op, what medication are you on?
Progesterone?

@NavigatingAdolescence I’m curious - who do you think should do the heavy lifting? HSE legislation has identified this as a risk to expectant mothers and the OP had been told she shouldn’t carry out these activities. So you are right that not doing it isn’t an option, but there is duty of care to the OP and ignoring this opens the company up to risk.

The OP hasn’t formally informed her employer of her pregnancy, not completed a pregnancy risk assessment to establish what she can or can’t do.

Tell her you want them to do a risk assessment on your duties in view of your pregnancy and the doctors advice.

@NavigatingAdolescence yes I have informed my employer of my pregnancy after my scan on Thursday once I saw everything was okay and that there was a pregnancy to inform of. I did say that in my full post. We had a phone call Thursday she arranged and I informed her. My sick note was up yesterday. I return to work tomorrow. That's why a risk assessment hasn't been done. But I'll be asking for it tomorrow or if that's inconvenient for her, I'll do it on my shift Monday

@SW1amp

Op, what medication are you on? Progesterone?

Progesterone twice daily, and aspirin along with standard pregnancy supplements which isn't to much of a routine to keep to.

So all that could really be taken while you’re at work..?
Presumably the pessaries which just need a quick trip to the loo to insert at the right time?

The medication alone isn’t any reasonable excuse to need to alter your hours and it’s massively taking the piss to suggest you can’t combine it with working

They don’t have to be timed to the minute

Definitely worth joining a union to help, they will have dealt with it before! Which union depends where you work, they have different agreement but if you Google e.g ' union for Tesco workers' you should be able to work out which one is yours.

@SW1amp so I can lay down for half an hour in work after I take the progesterone? Have you been on progesterone before? If you have you'll know you're advised to lay down for half an hour while it absorbs otherwise it'll just leak out

@SW1amp also didn't say I can't combine it with working. But finishing work at 11pm, getting home just before 11:30pm and back in the next day possibly at 9:30am. That's my point of not having routine

[quote MollySxx]@SW1amp so I can lay down for half an hour in work after I take the progesterone? Have you been on progesterone before? If you have you'll know you're advised to lay down for half an hour while it absorbs otherwise it'll just leak out [/quote]
I’ve had 16 rounds of ivf and 6 pregnancies so I could write a book on taking progesterone!

I’ve never ever had to lie down after taking it, nor have I ever been advised to

Use it rectally if you’re worried about it leaking, or go onto one of the injectable forms such as Lubion

You really don’t need a sick note to accommodate taking progesterone supplements