Hi,
I am 25 weeks pregnant, and have a full time job.
In the beginning of my pregnancy I had severe morning sickness and nausea (for which I sought medication) and had to have 8 out of my first 12 weeks of pregnancy off work as I simply didn't feel able to go in.
I also have taken a few days here and there off with vomiting and nausea, and this last week I've been off due to a severe pain in my rib cage.
During the first, long period of absence, when I first called my manager to tell her I'd been signed off by my doctor, she made the comment 'well that seems a bit extreme' in relation to my 2 week note. She arranged for me to see my employer's occupational health woman near the end of my
initial absence, and she barely spoke to me about my pregnancy and then pronounced me fit to work with a phased/gradual return to my full 10 hour shift over 3 weeks.
4 weeks later the nausea and vomiting had a brief return, and rather than travel the 1 hour bus journey to work with a bucket on my lap to spend my 10 hour shift in the toilet, I called in. My manager at this point suggested I 'seek professional medical opinions as occ health says you're well enough to work, so there seems to be some disparities'.
A few (I think 3) days later I went back in.
I've been at work since then until this week. I've been complaining of pain in my ribs for the last 4 or 5 weeks. My midwife says it may just be baby taking up room, or it may be some swelling of the cartilage, but it's not dangerous and I should take paracetamol if it gets really bad.
Well, this week it got really bad. Paracetamol is doing next to nothing, although hot and cold compresses have provided some relief over the last couple of days. Anyway, lying down is the ultimate pain reliever, and there's no way I could've sat in a chair for a full shift, so I called in.
Now, this time my manager has googled my symptoms and the swelling of cartilage the midwife has offered as a possible cause, made a diagnosis herself and spoken to occ health in my absence about it. Occ health advised her that her "diagnosis" can be pregnancy related but not always so my manager is now demanding proof from me that my illness is, in fact, pregnancy related.
I phoned my midwife to ask for this proof after advising my manager once again that there is no diagnosis and only opinion, and my midwife, understandably, said there is no proof to be provided.
What do I do? I feel victimised by my manager, who is making suggestions and covert accusations that I'm either lying or exaggerating and trying to take me down a disciplinary route because she thinks my current problem isn't pregnancy related.
I know she has targets and stats and that me not there means work not done, but I feel she is being unfair to me when I'm clearly already having a miserable time of it. I've tried to speak to her, but she just brushed me off.