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Original poster

Antenatal refusal?

75 replies

MrsPearce2015 · 08/12/2014 10:47

Hello all
This is my first time asking advice! I hope I can get some clarity on this issue...
So I've found out I am expecting our second Smile we already have an 11 month old, I'm just 7 weeks and we're very excited.
Now at my work I have 5 managers 2 of which deal with office and hr. I felt it only right to tell these 2 first for obvious Heath and safety issues and my main manager was not in.
So when I eventually get to tell my manager she already knows?? Definite breach of my privacy and I have no idea whose told her but that's not my main issue.
As I've been having complications with this pregnancy and need to have check ups and scans a lot more.
My main issue is this.
My manager has refused to give me time off for my antenatal appointments. Demanding I get someone else to cover my shift or come in to work before or after scan.
I work full time as does my partner and my daughter goes to child care. So as there is an added health risk to both myself and baby I thought there would be allowances to both my working hours and my health.
I feel like my I'm being reprimanded for having children.
What can anyone suggest?

Thanks

OP posts:
WhyYouGottaBeSoRude · 10/12/2014 17:07

There is no appointment.

cavkc · 10/12/2014 17:13

It's perfectly reasonable for your employer to insist you come into work before/after your appointment.

Wow an antenatal clinic open on Boxing Day??

If you work shifts why can't you book an appointment in the morning before your shift starts, then you don't have the stress of having to get the time off (even though of course you are legally entitled)

magpieginglebells · 10/12/2014 17:17

What the others said. They are right to make you come in after the appointment. Childcare arrangements are a different issue.

BelleateSebastian · 10/12/2014 17:18

I'm not sure I'm getting this! How may appointments/hospital trips/scans have you needed (even with complications) at 'Just 7 weeks pregnant?

I bled and was in pain at that stage of pregnancy and was just told that the pregnancy may or may not progress and they weren't hugely interested! I had one quick scan to check all was well but that was it, certainly not lots of advice on working hours, appointments and hospital trips.

Why do you want the day off on Boxing day - surely you've not got an antenatal appointment? if you have a routine antenatal app that day no wonder the NHS is on it's knees as everyone would be on double pay!!

If you work shifts then why would you need to have your appointments in work time?

TantrumsAndBalloons · 10/12/2014 17:19

Well, I very much doubt you have a scan booked for Boxing Day.
I imagine your manager is thinking the same thing which is why they are asking you to come in after your fictitious appointment.

insancerre · 10/12/2014 17:26

I'm a manager with a pregnant member if staff
I let her go to her appointments and don't dock her pay but I expect her in before and afterwards
She doesn't get the whole day off
Why would anyone expect that?
Op does sound very precious
I make it clear to my staff that their childcare is their problem and not mine. I get that people have emergencies but I do expect them to sort it and not involve me

WhyYouGottaBeSoRude · 10/12/2014 17:31

I dont think you legally can dock pay for antenatal appointments insancerre

Putthatonyourneedles · 10/12/2014 17:34

To be honest if I were your manager I would be requesting to see the appointment letter.
I work within the nhs and I would literally leave my ward 5 mins before the appointment then after having a wee I would go straight back to work.

As for the "added health risk to myself and the baby" where the hell do you work? I did 12 hour shifts with detoxing patients, dementia patients, infective patients, heavy manual handling and other than avoiding the radioactive patients and those with certain conditions there were no changes to my workload or working pattern.
Plus isn't it worded as "reasonable time off for antenatal appoiniments" the whole day is unreasonable.

insancerre · 10/12/2014 17:35

I know I can't which is why I dont
My post came out a bit garbled
I just meant that I let her have the time off but not the whole day. If she took the whole day she would have to book it as annual leave or have it unpaid if she didn't come into work

WhyYouGottaBeSoRude · 10/12/2014 17:37

Sorry- i misinterpreted it. I thought you were saying it like you were doing it as a nice thing. Grin

owlbegoing · 10/12/2014 17:47

Little Miss Grinch doesn't want to put ours up until Christmas eve!!!!

owlbegoing · 10/12/2014 17:47

Oops multitasking fail.
Sorry

ClumsyCrocheter · 10/12/2014 17:48

At 7 weeks...how many complications can you have?! My experience is the EPU scan you, see if there's a heart beat or not, and take action if there's not. So what on earth are all your appointments for at such an early stage? And I doubt there's an appointment on boxing day!!

scopeisawesome123 · 10/12/2014 18:02

When I was pregnant with dd and then later with ds I worked as a contractor on an agency contract and was allowed paid time off for antenatal appointments. As pp have said you are allowed time to get to and from and the time that the appointment takes.
I certainly didn't take a whole day off and if I had wanted to it was up to me to use annual leave subject to manager approval.

I don't understand what you expect? The whole day off for an appointment on boxing day? Is the issue really because you have no child care for your dd? I think this is the real issue. Being pregnant is not an excuse to get out of everything and it annoys me when people act as such

flowery · 10/12/2014 18:05

"I get it. No childcare for your DD available on boxing day so you told work you have antenatal appointment assuming that would get you the day off without losing annual leave. New manager not so soft and said antenatal fine- day off not fine. So now you are cross because you will have to find childcare."

That sounds pretty likely to me, and probably to the OPs manager as well, who probably isn't completely daft.

Even in the incredibly unlikely event that you do have an antenatal appointment on Boxing Day, your manager is perfectly reasonable to expect you to come in afterwards. And, just as if you were working and didnt have an appointment, you will of course need childcare for your dd as normal.

Original poster
MrsPearce2015 · 10/12/2014 18:07

yea i have an early pregnancy scan on Boxing Day which they with be doing an antenatal assessment aswell!

I'm not very good at explaining things but everyone has been really helpful. Thanks. I will do what I can.

OP posts:
WhyYouGottaBeSoRude · 10/12/2014 18:09

What time is the scan and how far from your work is the hospital?

TooMuchCantBreathe · 10/12/2014 18:28

It's bank holiday? Clinics don't run on bank holidays?

Anyway, that aside, taking a day off for a scan is out of order. Taking a Christmas period day is bang out of order. Yabu, entitled and precious. Your current boss is quite correct, your previous boss was foolish. Hth.

YonicSleighdriver · 10/12/2014 23:37

OP, I think an employer is entitled to ask for evidence of the appointment if they wish, so if she is doubting you, then you could provide that? Is your DH also working Boxing Day?

YonicSleighdriver · 10/12/2014 23:41

Also, as the rota isn't out yet, you may get lucky and not be rota'd on for Boxing Day, or someone else may be prepared to swap, maybe who ever is doing Xmas eve or New Year's Day?

manchestermummy · 11/12/2014 08:52

OP do you really have an appointment on a Bank Holiday?

You'll find that your employer will be far more amenable to helping you out as your pregnancy progresses if you do things "by the book", as it were. Provide evidence of appointments (copy the relevant page of your green notes so you are not comprising confidentiality), make absolutely every effort to make appointments at the start or end of the day (difficult with hospital clinics, I know), leave enough time to get there but don't take liberties and try to get back to work as soon as you can.

For my 20 week scan, I took a half day's leave on top of time for the scan (the hospital was a good 30 miles from work so not round the corner) so that I had a day off. Of course, I did that by making sure that there were no departmental issues that might mean that would be inconvenient.

I'm not about to suggest that it's business as usual for you, but barring significant complications, you've got to try to make your pregnancy slot into your work, and not the other way round.

ohdearitshappeningtome · 11/12/2014 08:55

Epu are open all year round. It's possible to have scan that day!

Your being unreasonable to expect a whole day off because you have no childcare (if I've understood that right) if you were working Boxing Day anyway who would have your child normally ?

ohdearitshappeningtome · 11/12/2014 08:56

Complications this early are bleeding. Ensuring the pregnancy is viable etc etc

manchestermummy · 11/12/2014 08:59

The EPU for our trust wasn't: I had a bleed over a Bank Holiday as it happens and had to wait until the Tuesday before the GP could get me referred.

Not suggesting that's the case for the OP; like others, I'm surprised.

ohdearitshappeningtome · 11/12/2014 09:01

I suppose each hospital trust is different and the services they offer.