High risk pregnancy after COVID loss working as a teaching assistant

[jjotwinkletoes]

Warning - long story!
Hi, no idea if anyone has been in a situation like mine. I miscarried my DS last September at 22 weeks after contracting COVID (post mortem confirmed COVID was the cause of the loss). I'm now currently pregnant again. I work as a teaching assistant and asked my boss if I could have a change of role due to worrying about what might happen if I were to catch COVID again. After being told that this wasn't possible I spoke to my GP for advice who said to minimise my risk I really should be working from home and wrote a letter to my employer advising this. The school have since asked me to have an occupational health assessment where the assessor said that because there is no longer the need for anyone to isolate that my workplace don't have to do anything. He recommended that if I'm feeling anxious I would be better getting signed off by my GP. I don't really want to be signed off for the remainder of my pregnancy because my maternity pay would be started 4 weeks early and I'm not due till early September so mat pay would start in the holidays.
I don't feel like my work are taking my personal situation into account considering it's clearly a risk to my pregnancy if I were to get COVID again regardless of what the government guidelines are. They haven't even discussed with me what my options could be for either a change in role/working from home even though I can think of loads of admin/online tutoring sessions I could be doing for them.
What should I do? Any advice?

Congratulations on your pregnancy, I can appreciate how worried you may be.

It sounds like your employer has taken the appropriate steps, in so far as they have sought medical advice and are following it. Schools need people on site, supporting students face to face. They are probably not talking to you about options as their stance is that there are no other options. They don't have to create a job for you that you can do from home.

Realistically, your only option is to go off sick.

@purpledagger thank you for your reply.
I thought that if there was a significant risk from anything in the workplace including a biological hazard then the employer must take steps to minimise the risk including a change in job role or suspension from work on full pay. The issue is, who decides what makes something a "significant risk" surely the letter from my GP shows that COVID is a significant risk for me in the workplace?

Your employer has sought advice from Occupational Health who specialise in work related health and provide impartial advice to staff and managers. Your GP isn't impartial, as this role is to support you.

The issue is that the restrictions have been lifted and the government policy stance is that we need to learn to live with covid. If your employer has completed a risk assessment and sought advice from OH and if they have taken the appropriate actions to mitigate the risks, they are doing what they need to do.

If you have a specific concern eg there isn't adequate hand washing facilities or ventilation in classrooms, then of course you should raise it. If you have general anxiety about being at work, this is another matter.

@purpledagger I do see your point from my employers perspective and yes there are adequate facilities for handwashing (ventilation varies from classroom to classroom and I'm often having to open windows) the issue is schools are literally breeding grounds for germs so even with the "procedures" I don't see how the risk is minimal.
I guess I'm the only one who thinks that though and I'll have to go by how I feel and this stress of going through an entire day nervous and worried that a student/staff member may pass on an infection to me is not worth it. The health of my baby is more important.

Hi OP - I was a high risk pregnancy not due to covid but other reasons. I was given a fit to work note by my consultant but with measures put in place by my employer. Those were to work from home if I couldn’t I wouldn’t be fit for work therefore I would go onto sick pay. Obvisouly ssp kicks in at 28 weeks but before this it would be normal sick pay, this is what you need from your consultant.

I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of your baby, that must’ve been very difficult.

As others have said, your employer have carried out their remit here and are following the advice of occupational health.

I understand your concern but maybe being signed off and starting maternity leave early is the best plan? Realistically, when you are so scared of contracting Covid again but pregnant while the virus is still rampant, there’s only so much an employer can do to protect you and you need to look at options that you can manage yourself- like being signed-off.

Thank you, I think being signed off is the way for me to go.
@Footballsundays6777 when you say SSP kicks in at 28 weeks what do you mean? I've looked at my employee handbook and I think I can get 6 months full pay off sick as I've worked there for so long.

Did you get signed off OP?

It’s all well and good the GP saying ‘work from home’ but for that to happen there needs to be work you can do from home. What would a TA do from home regularly? Sounds like the GP didn’t think this through and they shouldn’t really have put this option on the table. If you’re at home and not working then you are just off sick 🤷‍♀️ Sounds like your school is going through the right channels.

Update
So I got the occupational health report back which stated it would be "in the best interest of your pregnancy to work from home, if this is not possible it's understandable that you would be signed off work"
After my work receiving the report they decided to let me work from home!
So I'm now working from home doing a lot of online small group and 1:1 sessions with students.

@jjotwinkletoes that’s great news, such a relief for you I bet, hope you are feeling less anxious about everything!