Extra duties while pregnant?

[090319DaisyPoppyBella]

I don’t know if I’m over reacting here- I work in healthcare and am due with baby no 1 beginning of March. My boss has just asked me to complete an investigation following a death - so quite a serious investigation. My issue is I have never been asked to do this before, I have never had any training on this & I'm finding work hard enough without this extra stress?? Am I being unreasonable to ask to not do this given my circumstances? There’s also nothing in my job description about doing these although there is a bit that basically says ‘& anything else we might need’. I don’t really have an issue doing this investigation in general, what I do have an issue with is 1- having to do it NOW considering I’ll be on maternity leave soonish & already finding things harder, 2- I have no training on this and have never done one before so don’t even know where to start??? I don’t really want all that extra stress now of all times?!!

Having no training or experience is an issue and so then I would assume it is your role to ask for support or find a source of information to be proactive in dealing with this in much the same way that you would with any new situation at work. Why have you been asked now? Because it has come up now and so it just so happens that it has fallen during the period of your pregnancy. Why should you be excused and it fall onto someone else if you have been asked to complete this task?

You said "I'm finding work hard enough without this extra stress"

Does that mean that this isn't a straightforward pregnancy or do you always find work hard?

Maybe it's because you can't do regular caring? Are you more office based? So a time filler?

You can't pick and chose what work you do just cause you're pregnant (obviously manual handling/heavy lifting aside before anyone jumps on me).

I’m not seeing the problem based on what you have said? It’s just the type of work you don’t want to do.

What do they me an they want you to complete an investigation, what do they want you to do, carry out an investigation, help other people with it, type it up, was it something you witnessed. Are you a registered practitioner, see if your contract says anything about participating in investigations. Would it involve any extra work outside your normal duties or are you given time to do this. I'd have thought you would be given help, maybe your union or governing body can help.

I don't think you can be excused doing part of your role because you are pregnant (with the exclusion of heavy lifting or excess standing over several hours or whatever might physically not be possible. However I think anyone being asked to do something they've not done before at work ought to be given training / shown how to do it.

Surely any investigation into anything should be carried out by people who are fair, accountable, trained and objective, how can it be fair and unbiased if someone doesn't know how to do it properly.

That sounds worryingly like an attempt to get you to quit to me.

Pregnancy discrimination is a major employment issue. Are you in a union?

”1- having to do it NOW considering I’ll be on maternity leave soonish & already finding things harder” unless it will last until beyond March, I’m not following what the relevance of your maternity leave is here?

”2- I have no training on this and have never done one before so don’t even know where to start???” That is clearly an issue, although again pregnancy is nothing to do with it. Raise this very valid concern, but not as if your pregnancy is relevant. It’s an issue all by itself!

Surely they have a standard form for completing such an investigation? I would guess it’s not made up on the hoof. Ask what has been done before and do the same. Read previous reports and use the same headings. That’s where I would start. Also ask your boss for help, guidance and training. I would do it as I don’t see it’s related to your pregnancy. It’s better than some jobs you could have been asked to do!

As others have said, I think you should make sure you get the training and support you need to carry out the investigation. You don't mention if you have shed some duties, but if you have, it's all the more reason to lean on and pull your weight. I would also say you should keep especially good records and keep your manager well briefed on progress, so that if you go into labour early or develop complications, the family of the deceased will not suffer further delays or inconvenience. Also, if you do a good job, it will help raise your profile, which will help when you return to work following mat !eave

I do not understand why you think you should not have to so aspects of your job because you are pregnant. Of course if you need some extra guidance then ask for it. But if it would be reasonable to ask you to do this if you were not pregnant then it is now. Being pregnant entitles you to not being discriminated against, not being exempt from doing your job.

The only reason I can see pregnancy would come into it is if you think this is likely to go on well beyond your maternity leave, and even then a handover may be enough. You probably need training, that's it.

Pregnancy discrimination is a major employment issue.

In what way is this pregnancy discrimination?