Starting maternity leave earlier than planned - does this sound reasonable?

[mogwai]

I'm 27 weeks pregnant with my second child and work 2 days a week in the NHS.

I was planning to leave my job at 35 weeks and take about 4-5 weeks annual leave before maternity leave kicks in. However, I am suffering from SPD and this prospect is looking increasingly unlikely.

The main problem with my job is the driving. The SPD is aggravated by pressing on my clutch pedal and by getting in/out of my car and carrying equipment. As I have a 70 mile round trip to work and most of my work involves home and school visits, I am finding it very painful to continue.

I am seeing an osteopath once a week, wearing a support belt and using a tens machine for my back, but still the problem is getting worse.

In addition to this, my manager has made it plain she is unhappy about me taking time off for antenatal and consultant appointments, whicih seem to have constantly fallen on one of the days I work. I have tried to find a way around this and haven't come up with anything.

Given the above situation I now want to finish work much earlier. I have drafted a letter asking to take my annual leave from the first week of April and start maternity leave at 34 weeks (in May).

Strictly speaking, I am supposed to give 6 weeks notice of taking annual leave. Also, my job share colleague has just left for a new job.

Does it seem reasonable to request this arrangement? I would have requested it formally last week (hence giving another week's notice) but I was away from work on a course. I am advised that my SPD will continue to worsen if I continue to drive to this extent.

i wouldnt start mat leave until i had to tbh but if you have been advised that your SPD will get worse, wouldnt your GP sign you off sick until you are 36 weeks pregnant then you can start mat leave. That way you dont use up your annual leave/mat leave.

will probably be lynched for suggesting that but you are genuinely unable to get to work due to a medical condition

the problem is I have two jobs.

One is 35 miles away and involves lots of getting in and out of the car.

The other is 3 miles away and is office based.

I am perfectly capable of doing the office based job and it doesn;t worsen my SPD.

Surely if I'm signed off from one, I'm signed off from the other?

TBH we need the money and I can't afford to give up the second job.

arent both jobs with the NHS? if you are signed off from one, you will automatically be signed off from the other IIRC.

am not an HR expect (just work in the NHS) but i personally would save as much mat leave as i could for then the baby was born. i struggled but worked til 36 weeks with DS2 by using holiday to work part time for the last couple of weeks

you need to have your risk assessment reviewed and compromises made regards the spd. if they can't come to an agreement, I'd be seeking the gp to sign off until you want mat leave to commence.

What twinklytoes said. Get them to review your RA and make adjustments to allow you to stay at work if possible.

But if I'm happy to leave and happy to take the annual leave up front?

I can't see how they can adjust many of the things that are causing a problem. The commute from home is a problem and so is all the driving in my car - an essential part of my job.

My main point isn't whether I should continue or get signed off - it's about whether it's reasonable for me to request leaving earlier than planned.

You poor thing, mogwai, I had mild SPD on ds4 and that was bad enough!
I would think you would be entirely reasonable to request this. And the fact that your colleague has left is not your problem.
And you are entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments! It's not your fault if the appointments fall on work-days, that's beyond your control.

I think it is perfectly reasonable to request this and I don't think they could justifiably turn down your request. So far as I am away you can take maternity leave at any time from 11 weeks before the baby is due.

BUT I don't see why you should use up your precious maternity leave if you are unfit to do the job. If you ask your GP to sign you off you would be on full pay or if you don't feel happy doing that ask your employer to review your duties. They ought to have been planning how to cover your role in your absence anyway.

So far as I am aware I mean! Tis late

Its been a long time since I took maternity leave, but wasn't there a rule about if the problem was a pregnancy related problem (which it is in this case) then you couldn't take sick leave, you had to start maternity leave.
If you are passed this date (although I think its 29 weeks), they may insist on you going straight onto maternity leave without your annual leave being used.

Do you intend on going back there when your maternity leave is over? If not, I don't see how they can deny you your annual leave, but if you are going back, they could be awkward and just not let you take it yet in which case, the dr would have to sign you off both jobs. I would have thought you would get paid if you have been signed off by the dr.