Rest hours between shifts

[bettybets]

I work shifts. As i'm aware standard working practice is 11 hours between shifts. However i'm 7 months pregnant, finshed work at 10pm tonight its a 45 min commute home and i'm back rota'd on for 9am tomorrow morning.

I asked my supervisor if i could work a later shift, mainly of the commute i'm not getting chance to unwind, its bed then straight back to work in the morning.

Her response was 'tough, we've all got to do it!'

Which is fair enough, but i am 7 months pregnant. Do you think i'm right to moan?

Yes you are right to moan. An employer has to make reasonable adaptions to enable you to work. Is it a large company with an occupational health department?

Look that www.hse.gov.uk and search for pregnancy.

have you filled in a risk assesment form? There is a whole section about shift work and it's potential problems in pregnancy.

I work until 9pm and often back in at 7.15 am that falls short of the 11 hours too. I mentioned this to HR in my company when they were going over my risk asessment, they were unaware of the situation and said they would make sure and do whatever was needed to sort it out for me if the shifts become a problem.

You are right to complain, and as MrsWee points out, you should have completed a risk assessment with your line manager which addresses shift work & potential problems. Your company (I believe) have an obligation to be flexible regarding your rostering whilst pregnant, and being expected to double back regularly is unreasonable in my opinion,if it is negatively affecting you.

You are absolutely right to complain. If nights are part of your shiftwork they are not compulsory after 28weeks. If you have no occupational health department you can go to your GP who can write a sicknote to the effect of determining an acceptable shift pattern for you! Best of luck.

They've done a risk assessment, and i pointed out commute time and they documented it.

Not really had a problem with shifts until now, but because my risk assessment was done months ago i forgot to mention about it, i just presumed if i had a problem with shifts they would sort them out for me and make them more suitable. However do they have to legally?

I'm really cross at one of the supervisors about not changing my shift when i explained about commute time and needing longer to rest between shifts. Her attitude is rubbish in general.

I think i might put a written complaint in about it.