Will being off work sick effect my mat pay?

[LauraP12345]

I'm almost 28 weeks pregnant and work in management in a restaurant. Im part time but struggle with my shifts as I'm left without adequate support....90% of the time I'm very understaffed and have no other management support with me so I don't get to take breaks if I need one to eat/rest. I've brought this up multiple times with my GM but nothing changes. I'm told we won't make bonus if we add staff or that it can't be justified and yet almost every shift I do if awful. I have to deal with so many complaints and customers asking why we have no staff but due to personal issues my GM just doesn't care. On other shifts there are all 3 other managers a lot of the time. I have emails my area manager for help because I'm worried about mine and my babies health with the amount of stress. I'm in tears at work often from it. I've considered asking for some time off and speaking to my dr but I'm worried they'll make me start mat leave really early? Can they do this? Or I heard that having any sick pay can affect you may pay too from a certain time? I'm not sure where I stand or what i can do to protect myself but I can't keep suffering like this. Does anyone have any advice or experience. It's so stressful at the minute 😔 I come home cramping up from the strain.

the amount of your maternity pay is based on the amount you earn from week to week 25 of your pregnancy so anything that happens now won't affect that

@FaazoHuyzeoSix Thank you, ive been trying to look it up but it can get quite confusing.

sorry pressed post instead of edit

the amount of your maternity pay is based on the amount you earn from week 18 to week 25 of your pregnancy so anything that happens now won't affect that.

but yes they can make you start your maternity leave early if you are off sick for a pregnancy related reason. but is that so bad? your health is suffering, maybe your baby's health too. it sounds like this isn't a great employer to go back to anyway. perhaps you can find a better one when maternity leave ends?

Its week 17-25 of pregnancy that determines maternity pay

They can't make you start maternity leave early unless you're off with a pregnancy related illness in the last 4 weeks of pregnancy.

As far as I'm aware your employer is legally obligated to make reasonable adjustments for your role in light of your pregnancy. You should have a risk assessment and be given regular breaks etc. If they aren't doing this then you should contact citizens advice or if you're part of a union contact them for advice on how to challenge this. Your employer isn't holding up their end of their responsibilities and you're not asking for anything unreasonable. You'd be well within your rights to take this forwards. Make sure you keep all contact in emails etc requesting adjustments so you have a paper trail.

Thanks for your replies, it's good to be a bit more clued up. I've always kind of got on with things and not wanted to cause a fuss and tbh if I bring anything negative up to my GM she gets incredibly difficult to work with so I've put up for an easier life mostly. Yesterday I had to message her because it was just so bad and when she eventually came in to take over she didn't speak to me. That's what I'm dealing with. I had all the guests telling me how stressed I looked and asking when I'm due and where the staff were. I hope that now I've finally asked to speak to our area manager something might change. I couldn't risk the stress on my baby just to keep the peace any longer. I'm going to speak to my dr tomorrow and discuss if I'm able to get a sick note even for a week or so just to help a little while I'm struggling. It's not a great company to work for, I don't feel their even doing the minimum required to look after me during my pregnancy and they don't seem to care. Well my GM doesn't. Hopefully I'll get somewhere and in 8 weeks I'll be on maternity and away from it all at last....