Pregnancy discrimination? Sitting down.

[Namesfordays]

Hi,

Posting here for a bit of advice. I am a primary school teacher and I am currently 8 weeks pregnant.

Work are aware I am pregnant, I told them early on, when we came back from the Christmas holidays, as I was feeling a bit rough and thought it would be easier if everything was out in the open.

Anyway the past week I haven’t been feeling great and I asked my deputy head teacher if I was okay to eat in the classroom as I was getting dizzy spells. I was told no, I would need to find someone to cover me so I could nip to the toilet.

Today myself and another teacher from my year group were asked to stay behind in a meeting and we’re told that we have been sitting down whilst teaching, insinuating because of this the children aren’t making progress and that we need to ensure we are standing up.

The head teacher then followed this up with an email, with research on why standing up to teach is best practice.

I just feel totally deflated and unsupported.

I am going to contact my union tomorrow, I was just wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation before or has any advice of how to deal with this.

P.S I do spend a lot of my day standing up!

Thanks!

Can you not drink a protein shake from a coloured water bottle?

I’m fascinated that you think an orange would be subtle!

Have some polos and stand / sit as needed.

I'm a teacher and union rep and this is ridiculous. In the short term, get your union involved, you need a risk assessment and eating in the classroom/sitting down is the very least they should be putting in place for you. You also shouldn't be doing duties if you're having dizzy spells.
In the longer term, find a different school.

Another thought, could you have thin porridge in a heated flask and drink from that? With sugar/syrup already added in if needed?

Primary is so different! I got one parent complain when I was eating digestives in secondary, once I said I was pregnant (I was obviously pregnant) mum was lovely.
The eating I wouldn't have a problem with. I needed to eat once an hour with the sickness. Tell your head the alternative is that you're signed off until the sickness stops. They might shut up then.

I was encouraged to sit down in my risk assessment too!

Union, Google "pregnant then screwed". Paper trail it all 🙂

I’m a primary teacher too and my colleague got through pregnancy sickness with haribo sweets shoved in her top drawer and eaten whenever kids weren’t looking 😅. I’m also not pregnant and don’t stand up for 100% of my lessons. Nor do any of my colleagues and our attainment is good. Your head sounds batshit and I’d have a meeting with a union rep in attendance ASAP! Also remember if you are in the UK that they can’t attendance trigger you for pregnancy related absence so if they won’t accommodate you then just go off!

How on earth are there still employers and managers that don't know you're protected in pregnancy?

Get a risk assessment asap.

Ask for reasonable adjustments.

If they don't provide reasonable adjustments phone in sick, and go to the GP and get a fit note that says you can't work without reasonable adjustments, give them the choice to provide the adjustments or document that they can't and you'll need to be redeployed outside the classroom or signed off until the sickness/dizziness passes.

Also get them to document that you were spoken to about standing more after they were aware you were pregnant.

Yea I’ve been having lots of ginger tea and changed my water to juice which seems to be helping too!

I was going to suggest smoothie if they're going to be difficult about eating. I lived off it in my first trimester when solid food was a bit of a struggle!

I'm sorry but as someone who struggled with sickness in the first trimester - this sounds revolting!

At the risk of becoming cancel the cheque - risk assessment all the way.

For sickness, A male friend bought me some chocolate covered stem ginger, as it was his wife's standby. And it was amazing stuff. Quite small chunks too, so you could hide discreetly in your desk drawer.

Hopefully your nausea will settle in a few weeks, but don't work if you aren't well enough.

Sympathies as a pregnant teacher who had a rough first trimester.

Do you have a TA? Could they cover you whilst you quickly eat an oatcake outside every now and again? If you are alone in the classroom, which must be stressful in Year One, I'd just have boiled sweets or mints on the go and make sure I eat every break. I'd also utilise going to the loo and get people to cover if needed.

I would be asking for a risk assessment ASAP. The sitting down thing is ridiculous, especially in Year One where you are on your feet a lot anyway. Maybe there is research its broadly better across every class to stand up (always dubious about research like this anyway) but what won't be great for your class is if you get signed off work. If your school is generally inflexible like this then I'd seriously consider moving in the long term.

how could you read the whole post and not know how long it has been since Christmas? What an odd question. It 8: almost like you are abiut to be snarky.

op, if you are having regular dizzy spells I would make a GP appointment.

Op how did you get on?

They are legally obliged to do a RA. Ask them to do one ASAP.

If you feel better sat down, insist on it. Same with eating.
Ask for a review when you feel it is appropriate.
You are allowed time off work for antenatal appointments also.