Pregnancy and high risk employment

[TheNewMrsC]

I work in care with violent adults and everyone (with a few exceptions due to personal circumstances) are expected to do sleepovers . I was off work with stress at the begunnin of the year due to a particularly bad attack - never been affected like this before . Now I am pregnant my boss is saying I still need to do sleepovers when i feel that not only the physical risk is high but the emotional stress I would be under is too high . She has known of my pregnancy for over two weeks and there had still not been any move to do my risk assessment so I phoned her today to ask er about it and explain I was worried about the sleepover . She basically said I was wrong in that there is not a risk and she is the boss and she makes the decision . She hung up on me before I even got to tell her my gp is very concerned that there is even a question of whether I am doing them or not . I know I should go to hr but I'm scared I make it worse for myself .

Hi, there are some resources you can access with regards to risk management and pregnancy at work, eg www3.imperial.ac.uk/occhealth/guidanceandadvice/newandexpectantmothersintheworkplace/riskassessmentprocess Scroll to the bottom of the page for this excerpt:

" The potential for Violence at Work should be identified and controlled particularly in pregnancy as physical assault can result in placental detachment, miscarriage, premature delivery and it may impair a mother's ability to breastfeed ."

Your employer has a legal requirement to ensure minimal risks to you during your pregnancy. To knowingly place you under risk of violence is illegal, and your manager needs to be made aware of this. She may already be aware of this but is hoping that you won't be!

You need to speak to your HR dept, even if it's to make an 'innocent' enquiry regarding when your Risk Assessment will be.

I would strongly suggest obtaining a letter from your GP stating that you are unsuitable for night working due to your pregnancy. Your employer is legally required to find you alternative work or suspend you on full pay (they are unlikely to do suspend you as this is a needlessly expensive solution).

Thanks huge that's really helpful . It's hard because it's the fear of the violence and the anxiety it's causing me rather than actual physical attacks themselves . For example staff are "hit" on a daily basis but really full on attacks maybe only happen once every month or so . But since that last one I was involved in I am constantly on edge waiting on the next one to happen !

Anxiety is also a risk factor, MrsC, as it is classed as work-related stress, which in high levels can increase risk of complications. You shouldn't (and cannot) be forced to put yourself & your baby at risk. Get signed off if you have to.

Hope you get a better result if you go in armed with some facts!

You've posted before. Why didn't you take the alternative office-based work offered? Was that offer retrated or did you decline it?

It was retracted and it wasn't office based it was the exact same job just in a different department .

Actually to be fair it hasn't been retracted shes just not brought it up since .