Work discrimination during pregnancy

5 Comments

Hi, I just had to let out my frustrations somewhere and find out who else is suffering as a result of workplace discrimination? I am currently 7 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child and it has taken more than 6 months to fall pregnant due to all the workplace stress I was and continue to be under. I have been so ill that I’ve already been to emergency twice and constantly feel like fainting with Bps of 185/130. I am also vomiting etc and clearly can’t work currently.

So I saw my GP who has now classed me as high risk and advised I am not medically fit to work for at least the next 5 weeks. My boss told me I didn’t have enough leave to take 5 weeks off and advised that I look at taking maternity leave so I had to see the big boss. Anyway she told me I couldn’t take leave until 6 weeks b4 the birth even though our Hr policy says we can have leave at ANY stage of pregnancy.

She told me my only option was to have the 5 weeks off at half pay and then work until 6 weeks prior the birth. I told her about the Hr policy and that I probably would be too ill to work so would just prefer to take leave now and when everything runs out I will take leave with no pay and she refused to let me take leave with no pay!!!!!!

So I rang my union who said they are clearly discriminating against me and now I have to take it all further. Just what I need- more stress! So I am trying not to stress out as I know stress can be harmful in early pregnancy. I just think in these modern times it is ridiculous to experience this type of discrimination. And on top of that I work in a profession which cares for people.

And they wonder why they have a shortage of healthcare professionals! It is reasons like this which is why people leave the profession…..

Posted by preggiegoddess01, 18th August 2013

5 Comments

- - mom81879 said
  - 12 Sep 2015
    7:02 pm
That is awful! I hope you got yourself a satisfactory result? I was sacked when my boss found out I was pregnant. I reported him and he said I wasn’t sacked because of pregnancy, I was sacked so they could employ a make to do my work. He apparently decided, after 4 years of me being there, that I could not do the work. He put himself in it, either reason for sacking is discrimination!

- - mom57522 said
  - 06 Jan 2015
    8:55 pm
And you work in a profession tha cares??? Doesn’t sound like it.

- - jodie80 said
  - 25 Mar 2014
    10:30 am
this must be horrible for you. I am sure you can contact someone about this its not fair

- - twinkletoes said
  - 20 Aug 2013
    5:22 pm
Oh Gosh, you don’t need the drama. They need to pay you what you are entitled to. Take up any remaining sick leave too I’d say. Take it higher, or get someone to speak to them on you’r behalf if too stressful for you.
It’s reasons like this I took up agency work, no holiday leave, sick leave or maternity pay BUT I can pick when & where I want to work. I work around my kids, or work on weekends when the pay is better.
I’m sorry you’r in this situation, I hope it works out for you soon.

- - nicole_pfeiffer said
  - 20 Aug 2013
    4:49 pm
In these times it should not still be so mucj of a stigma for pregnant mothers to work. Employers needs to learn to adjust to families if they want to employ people. I quite work at 7 weeks pregnant with our first becaide I was high risk and rather be on bed rest and keep my baby then risk misscarriage. Our only income was my husbands wage for 7 months.