Difficult boss

[BK78]

Hiya - I'm 29+5 and having problems with my line manager about my pregnancy at work. I work for a weekly magazine, which is fairly high pressured, and when she's under stress she seems to be taking it out on me! Comments today nearly drove me mad, from saying 'Can't you change those dates' about forthcoming mat appointments (when I've deliberately asked for 9am appointments so they don't interfere with working day so much) to inferring I am expected to work until 2am on my last day before starting maternity leave. It is the Big Brother final that night, and my magazine will be covering it. When I asked whether she would expect me to be part of the team (considering I would be 37 weeks by then and it would be my last day) she said, 'Of course you are', making me feel really guilty about taking part. Everyone I work with thinks she's being unacceptable and out of order - I will be so big and tired by then, not to mention it being my last day! She doesn't have kids, and seems to have no empathy or understanding for how being pregnant makes you feel - the fact I have still got two legs and a brain means I should get no special treatment in her eyes- and it's really upsetting me. I don't want to go to HR and make it an issue with them threfore creating a bad atmosphere, I just want her to understand that being pregnant is something she has to accommodate, and asking me to not work a 16 hour day when I'm nearly 9 months gone isn't on! How should I go about it - any advice desperately sought.
Thanks and sorry for rant. xxx

well you could go to HR anon or have a quiet word with her.

Bump for better advice!

She sounds like a class A bitch. I suspect that she would not take kindly to HR having a word so the best thing to do imo is to face her down yourself. I know you probably don't feel like it but asking her for a chat and telling her that you feel she is being unaccomodating about your pregnancy and it is making you feel uncomfortable about your job.

If she is arsey about it tell her straight that you will have to go to HR.

How about starting later on the day of the BB final? Or having a little nap half way through the day? ie you are prepared to do the job but need some flexibility from them too.

If you want to wimp out you might like to say that your midwife is concerned about your blood pressure and working long hours, you of course are terribly keen to work all hours but cannot really ignore your midwife and therefore suggest X Y Z. This worked for me with a male boss, who was ready to be sympathetic as long as my work output wasn't affected

hi bk78

If you are pregnant you should be having health and safety risk assessments at work, as your normal working situation/tasks/environment etc may not be suitable, especially towards the end of your pregnancy.

You could demand these, however as you say, this would probably involve going to HR and you are (probably rightly) concerned about creating a bad atmosphere which will not make your last weeks at work stress free which they should be if possible.

I would agree with others that trying to solve it yourself first would be better. A conversation with your manager if you can may help, as she has no children you may need to just point out to her how pregnancy affects you particularly this late, but in a nice way indicating that you are not critical of the fact that she didn't know this previously. If you think this might not work, or if it doesn't when you try it, I would go with fridayschild's idea of saying your midwife is very concerned. If you are uncomfortable stretching the truth or your manager requests a letter or something, visit your midwife or a doctor, I guarantee they will not be happy about this working situation for someone in your position and will happily do you a letter!

Look after yourself and hope it helps

Thanks so much for the advice - yes, i am going to try the talking directly to her thing first as that is the most sensible and easiest way around things. Fingers crossed! xx