No risk assessment carried out

[mum2bemay22]

I'm now over 13 weeks pregnant, I informed my employer (I work for a very large well known company) that I was expecting at 6 weeks, I told them early as I had previously miscarried. No one has carried out a risk assessment and as assistant manager myself, I know how important it is considering we have to alter work hours, give extra breaks and the fact we stand for long periods and we use a chemical that should not be exposed to expectant mothers. I have requested a risk assessment three times and each time I am ignored. I hate confrontation with my manager as I see them every day and she can get quite funny but I'm fed up! I was so exhausted a few weeks ago I had to be signed off by my GP and when I returned to work, I never got a return to work completed and if I had one I would have requested to reduce my hours temporarily! When I said I was signed off my manager got the hump with me and told me it wasn't a good week to be sick as she was short staffed!! Help!! When I also requested to go to my midwife appointment in December she asked me to swap my day off to accommodate it but I said no because I am entitled to leave work to visit my antenatal appointments! Fed up!!

your employer doesn't have to a risk assessment www.hse.gov.uk/mothers/faqs.htm, but manger sounds like hard work. Have you spoken to HR, do you have a Union at work?

I'm aware we don't have to have a risk assessment carried out but this companies policy is to carry one out. Another girl in my team is also expecting a baby and she had her risk assessment at 8 weeks therefore I am finding it almost singling out.

Realistically, what would the risk assessment change? There's nothing to stop you doing it yourself.

If you manager isn't following company procedure and you think it's a battle worth fighting, refer it to HR.

Council, I think the reply was a bit out of order there as I have already stated in my first post that I have to work at height and use a chemical that is not allowed to be used by those expecting. Seems strange that women on this post don't seem to think it's an issue.

I just think there's nothing to stop you taking responsibility for it yourself and doing your own risk assessment. TBH, that's the only way to make sure all the risks you want are included are there anyway.

H&S law is very clear that employees have responsibility to manage H&S with their employers.

They don't have to do a risk assessment if their overall workplace risk assessment has shown there is no need to differentiate between pregnant women and everyone else. However clearly in this case there is a need to differentiate and reduce risk specifically. There is nothing to stop you doing your own risk assessment - do you have access to the company forms etc? Persuading management to agree the necessary changes may be harder though - do you have autonomy to stop using chemicals etc by your own arrangement? Colleagues who would be able to trade part of their responsibility for yours? I would do the assessment myself and take it to the manager with the proposed changes and see how you get on after that. Also find the relevant pages on the govt website about time off for ante-natal appointments and take that with you.

You don’t need to have had a back to work meeting to request to reduce your hours. If you are struggling then you could talk to your manager or HR to see if there is anything they can do to help.

Seems strange that women on this post don't seem to think it's an issue. I don't people think it isn't an issue. As others have said, either do your own assessment or speak to HR. I think you need to bypass your manager.