Help..............................

[rockinmum]

I'm due to go on Maternity leave on June 20th and was off work this week as I was hospitalised due to complications with the pregnancy.

I've come back today to work which has come in whilst I was off (anyone of the other 10 people could have done it) and more work than most others in the office.

I was also told how disappointed they were in my being off and were concerned about whetner I was coping (whatever, management sit opposite me and haven't even had an hello!)

They have now offered me 2 options - go part time and take a pay cut which would factor into my maternity pay or just leave now.

What should I do, my husband isn't happy at either option as we really need the money.

Help????????????????

It's my understanding that 'if an employee goes off work for a pregnancy related reason in the four weeks before her EWC, the employer can, of they wish, trigger the maternity leave to start immediately' - maybe it's worth speaking to your personnel department ?

rockinmum sorry to hear you've had a rough time and getting not much sympathy.

If you are 36 or more weeks pregnant, your work can forcibly start your maternity leave if you are off sick with a pg-related illness. If you are less pg than that they can't force you into maternity leave.

With the part time thing, what's that about? What would be the reason for going part time? If you are back at work do you not feel you can cope full time? Or have they just unilaterally decided you can't. They are not allowed to do that. They have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments to your working arrangements on a health and safety basis where at all possible, and they are strongly advised to be flexible with hours/travelling where possible as well.

What exactly is the reason for the part time bit? Are you willing and able to work full time?

Yes both willing and able............but because I've said I am unwilling to do all the extra work they keep throwing at me they have now decided I can't cope.

As a bit of background I do more work on a day to day basis than approx 5 people combined and have jsut been given someone elses work to do as well as they know that I can and will do it as I ahte having stuff left on my desk at the end of the day.

Just getting me so down in the dumps, feel like I can't enjoy being pregnant

How pregnant are you rockinmum?

I'm 28+1 according to scans etc but when I was in this week I was told that baby is very head down and on the large side of things (lol).

We've been questioning our dates as we did the pregnancy test on halloween but for us to be due in August we wouldn't have got pregnant until 23rd November.

Damn those psychic preggy tests.

Midwife doesn't want to bring dates forward in case they induce me and baby isn't ready. Fair enough in my view.

Ok so a while to go then.

If they don't think you are getting enough work done on full time hours, I'm at a loss to see how that situation is going to be improved if you work less hours! I'm not asking you to answer that btw!

I would ask to meet with your manager. Say you are well enough and willing and able to work full time hours, which you are more than happy to do, so you are not going to reduce your hours.

Then say as a separate issue you would like to discuss your workload. Say you feel he/she is not happy with the amount of work you are getting done, however you feel you are doing more than enough, and are certainly very busy the whole of the (full time hours) are at work.

Then talk about exactly what you are getting done, with any facts and figures. Say if he/she feels you should get more done during the time you are at work, you are happy to hear any suggestions he/she may have as to how you could do that, or how the team could achieve that overall.

G'luck rockinmum, much sympathy...