pregnant and off work for sickness.. unreasonable boss! help!

[natasha2121]

hello!

i started a new job a few months ago. i am on probation for 6 months, and found out i was pregnant.

My boss was quite funny upon telling her, but i ignored it. she can be very hostile. i am now 5 months pregnant. i have had a few days off due to pregnancy related sickess. (not many, maybe a day every 2 week so or so) i work very had and complete the work i have missed when i return.

my boss is very unreasonable. i had to go to hospital (a and e) yesterday due to an emergency with my baby. went to work first as she's makes me so uncomfortable, and upon leaving she just told me to get back early so i can come to work. i rang to say i wouldn't be in today as i'm sick.. she told me she's taking me to HR as i'm pregnant not sick. i told her it was morning sickness and she said she's taking it further as normally people aren't sick when pregnant. she also told me to get a letter from the doctor for proof. the doctor obviously wouldn't give me a letter as it isn't 7 days.

i also go told in a meeting with her and someone training me not to wee so much!

what can i do? i now dread going back because i know she will shout at me and is very hostile.

Get a sick note...
they will give you one if you ask.

A day off every 2 weeks is a lot unless you have hyperemesis or somehing that knocks you out for e.g. 2 weeks. The shouting is unacceptable however.

What was the emergency with the baby??

You don't have to have hypermesis to need time of work due to sickness. Point out that she's lucky you haven't been signed off.

Plus, see your HR about her treatment of you as the way she is treating you is because you are pregnant and she can't discriminate against you because of it. HR will not want any sort of discrimination issue against a pregnant woman. Also, if your work isn't slipping what exactly does she have to complain about?

i don't have that i literally just have been sick with a migraine every now and then. i got electrocuted and needed to get checked out.

i asked the doctor and they said because it's less than 7 days they can't give me a note, i'm going to back to work so didn't want to be signed off so they said they couldn't give me anything. the HR team confirmed that i didn't need a note

i feel like the stress of how she is treating me is making me more unwell. i spoke to hr and they said to have a meeting with her to talk and she if it gets resolved. thank you

Pregnancy related sickness is treated differently to normal sickness, in the eyes of the law. HR should know this.

Did you get electrocuted at work?

Go to HR. I would tell them you know you've had quite a lot of time off sick, but it's all pregnancy related and your manager is putting pressure on you.

If they're a decent HR dept they'll have her in for a chat about discrimination before you've finished talking.

Have your workplace completed a work place assessment for you? They legally have to because you’re pregnant and it has to be done with you and not for you-id put down that she is causing stress to you by her actions, if you’re catching up with work then there’s not much of a problem is there?

If your illness is all pregnancy-related, there isn't a great deal that your employer can do as you're protected under the law. It does sound like you have had a lot of time off, so maybe she thinks you're taking the piss, but even so, she can't discipline you for it. I'm not clear as to whether your A&E visit would be counted as pregnancy-related though - you said you got electrocuted?

What was your attendance like before your pregnancy?

I think you need to pass this one back to HR quite firmly (I see they’ve asked you to deal with her). Point out that she is acting unlawfully and ask them how they will ensure this doesn’t happen again going forward.

This is from the CAB website -

Your employer mustn’t take into account any periods of pregnancy-related sickness absence when making a decision about your employment. Otherwise it will be pregnancy and maternity discrimination.

In particular, employers must ignore pregnancy-related absences:

when calculating employment rights to do with length of service - for example, when choosing staff for redundancy
if they take action against you for a poor attendance record.

Was going to ask if they wanted you to have a meeting with your boss just the two of you or if HR was facilitating it. If just you and her say no that won't be happening it is their job to sort this out.