Working from home

[MCMP13]

Hello , just wondering peoples experience with maternity leave and work. I plan on working as long as I can pregnant to have more time off with baby but I know it may get difficult towards the end.

Has anyone asked work to from from home for the final few weeks , maybe a month? I can do my job from home but we are back in the office now due to the no working from home guidelines.

My first pregnancy I worked from home foe the last 4-6 weeks (finished work the day before my c section)

My second pregnancy was twins and lockdown so was home based from 28 weeks

I didn't so much ask but told my boss I'm not returning to the office, when the guidance changed. I go in once a week to train my replacement and the other two days (part-time) I'm still working from home. I'm in a fortunate situation that he needs me more than I need the job, but even if that wasn't the case sometimes flat out demanding stuff just works.

The advice for pregnant employees hasn't changed much though, we're still considered to be at an increased risk from 26 weeks and an additional risk assessment should be done. I just quoted this and said I'd prefer to continue working from home.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-pregnant-employees

My boss actively does not want me in for the last month or so as he is terrified I will end up labouring in the office 😁😁 - yours might be the same!

I requested to fully WFH after 28 weeks but then Bojo helped by making it part of Covid anyway

Have worked til I'm 37 weeks, no way could
I have done that going into an office!!

Last time I worked until 1wk before due date (walking into work and up the stairs to the 2nd floor); I presumed I'd be late and have an extra eek to get ready. Instead I finished work on the Friday and went into labour on the Monday. We were not ready. This time I plan to use all my holiday to go on leave a month before due date, and then I'm allowed to take 52 weeks' maternity leave (18wks paid).

I'm still wfh at the moment (our wfh guidance was lifted 1st Feb but I haven't had to commit to change yet) and my husband really doesn't want me to go back in because of the increased risk. I can work happily from home so I'm hoping they'll let me, but I'm a people manager so they do prefer us to be in where we can... so we'll see!

Thank you for all your replies. Hopefully I can work something out with my boss as I am struggling already haha! Hope it gets easier x

@Passanotherjaffacake

My boss actively does not want me in for the last month or so as he is terrified I will end up labouring in the office 😁😁 - yours might be the same!

😂 mine was the same. I worked to 39 weeks with both pregnancies. He made it clear how stressed he was. Commuted to central London, no problems. However my job wasn’t very stressful and I was fit and regular risk pregnancies.

I would definitely speak to your manager and discuss this. If you've been wfh anyway it would be a potential reasonable adjustment to work from home. I'd mention any covid risks you're concerned about including the risk during commute, plus any other non covid symptoms e.g Wfh has helped with fatigue I think I would have struggled to keep working if I'd been commuting and in the office. If they don't seem keen you could also request a risk assessment to be done