Paid time off work for ante natal exercise classes

[Bessie123]

I am due in a few weeks and have put off taking time off work for ante natal exercise classes but my midwife has said it would be a good idea to go. It would be a few hours for 1 morning a week, but I don't think my boss will like me taking the time off. I think I'm entitled to paid time off for it though; is that right?

yes you are entitled to paid time off for antenatal care/classes although your partner isn't. Think the NCT website has details on this (like where it says it is law!) www.nct.org.uk or phone their helpline and someone should be able to tell you.
All the best

ps it IS really worth going to antenatal classes - your mw is right! x

Ta, Fairylights, that will make my meeting with my boss MUCH easier

Things like antenatal exercise or relaxation classes can come under your right to paid time off for antenatal appointments, but they need to be recommended by a medical practitioner - just so you are aware your employer might request a letter from your midwife.

I went to aqua natal classes when I was pregnant and had time off work to do this. I really enjoyed it and I'm still friends with the other mums and our dd/ds's swim together!

The classes sound like a really good idea. I will only be able to fit about 3 or 4 in before the birth, but want to do what I can.

You are entitled to paid time off (if you are staff) to go to these. But, in my experience, if you are only a few weeks from due you'll be hard pressed to find one that isn't full. I personally think the NHS ones are better than NCT because you will meet peopl ein your area going to your hospital and they might have some insight about the hospital that people going to another hospital won't have. And the best thing you get from the classes is having a group of mums to talk to when you are on maternity leave and even after. My DD will be 5 in the spring and I still go out with the antenatal crown from where she was born. You should definitely go, even if you don't make every class.

I was working contract back then. And I didn't go to the ones that were in the day. They held the oned that the dads were also invited to at night (which I found unbearably sexist but hey ho that's how it was). Oh, I think I went to one of the daytime ones.

Anyway, don't worry about your boss. Tell him it's required for your health to know what the Hell is going to happen when you go into labour -- especially if you go into labout in the office That'll scare him.

crown=crowd

Bessie - please, please put you and your baby first. Go to exercise classes and also log onto Directgov and look at maternity rights. You have a lot of rights!

I had a chat with work about this yesterday and although they are not exactly overjoyed about it, they are fine with me going.

Thanks for all your help.

enjoy!

You will never get another chance to do this. Most hospitals don't give antenatal classes for subsequent babies.

i went to anything i could sign up for inc visits to labour rooms etc..loved seeing works face when i gave them my 'out of work' times

A lot of employers aren't happy when their staff take time off - but i'm learning that part of being pregnant is putting myself and my baby first. If you think you will have problems with your employer after LO is born, please join a union now (I think i may have suggested this to you before), who can help you if your employer is not family-friendly.

Your employer pays your salary - but does NOT own you!!

Lovemymum - you have suggested it before but I don't have the type of job that is unionised. My employers don't seem too bad, they are just not used to pregnant women so they don't understand that some things are not appropriate or that some things require a bit of extra flexibility. I think (hope) that it is a lack of experience in the situation rather than them trying to give me a hard time.

AFAIK the paid time has to be reasonable eg. An employer is not expected to pay a full day for a scan appt, even if you choose to take the whole day off.

Hi Bessie - you don't have to be unionised to join a union.

Sorry to be negative. It's just that i've given employers the benefit of the doubt before and they've taken advantage of me.

If your employer doesn't recognise unions there is only limited support they can provide unless you are in a situation where you have a right to union representation by law, like a disciplinary or something, see here about them.

I suggested a union in order to help make Bessie aware of what she is entitled to and to help her be confident in claiming these entitlements. I would hope that a union would never have to get too involved in a case.

lovemymum absolutely, in terms of knowledge etc they definitely serve a purpose, I just didn't want anyone reading to think that joining a union meant they automatically had all the protection and assistance a union can offer.