Sickness during pregnancy advice please

[dressmaker]

I work in a school, and took a week self certificate before the holidays due to hyperemesis, my GP then signed me off for another 2 weeks (I think? ) stating stress as I didn't want people to know I was pregnant (only a couple did). GP signed me off again for 2 weeks actually stating Hyperemesis. We then had the 6 weeks summer holidays.

I emailed my head to explain that I had been signed off, they said as one of my certificates said stress, that if I was signed off for depression, I would be referred to occupation health. (this felt like more of a threat than to get me help to get me back to work). Things weren't great before I went of sick tbh.

I am now over the sickness (anyone suffering -deepest sympathy's) but I have now seen a Peri natal team at my local hospital who have written to my GP to say that I am really not well enough to go back to work, and to sign me off as I am suffering from ante natal depression.

I am due back to work next week, and will see the GP the day before hopefully to be signed off, but I am so worried that work are gong to kick up a stink.

Anything I can do? Feel bad enough about the whole thing as it is. :(

I am currently 19 + 5 weeks.

Oh poor you. It sounds like you're having a really tough time. I don't know much about the law here but I didn't want to read and run. Hope you feel better soon and congratulations!

If you're not well enough to work you're not well enough to work, so there's nothing you can do about that.

If your HT mentions occupational health, I would suggest you welcome that suggestion and cooperate fully. This will stamp on any impression your HT may have that it is an effective tool to threaten you with, because you think it is a good thing.

Plus, it actually is a good thing! They will do a report for your HT which will tell him/her to back off because it's pregnancy-related. Job's a good'un!

Pregnancy-related sickness absence cannot be used against you in any way, in terms of disciplinaries, redundancy calculations, anything like that. Anything which penalises you or is any kind of a sanction needs to disregard pregnancy-related sickness.

OH will make sure your HT is fully aware of this.