Pregnancy/work/ COVID-19

[cggregory]

Hi all,

I’ve seen a lot of posts on here from women who are newly pregnant/going through fertility treatment and worried about going to work. I just wanted to paste this legal advice below, which is from Working Families, the UK’s work-life balance charity. This advice also applies to anyone in the 2ww after an embryo transfer. Full advice page here: workingfamilies.org.uk/arti...

If you are pregnant, you should not be made to go into work. If there is any work that you can do for your employer from home, they may ask you to work from home.

The law says that if there is a serious risk to you and your baby’s health at work, your employer has to:

- Temporarily adjust your working conditions to remove the risk; or if that is not possible

- Offer you suitable alternative work (at the same pay) if available; or if that is not possible

- Suspend you from work on paid leave for as long as necessary to protect your health and safety, and that of your unborn child.

In light of the fact that pregnant women have been categorised as being in the ‘most vulnerable’ category for COVID-19 and have been told by the government to avoid going outside, you should have a right stay at home for health & safety reasons if you are pregnant.

[ttcemmie]

Thanks lovely! x

[Cook7786]

This is such a tough decision - 12 weeks of SSP will then have a knock on effect on my maternity pay (for the first 6 weeks before SMP) That's a long time to go without full pay as I am due to go on maternity 1st July.

I manage a residential care home. I'm so torn about what to do. We can't completely avoid the risk of contact with COVID - 19 whether I work or not - we will come in to contact with it at some point.

hmmmmmmmm.

[cggregory in reply to Cook7786]

I’m so sorry you’re having to make these tough choices. It could potentially be argued that due to the nature of your work and the fact that you’re pregnant, your employer should be suspending you on full pay. Keep checking/refreshing the web page I linked to as it’s being updated frequently re: this issue.

[cggregory in reply to Cook7786]

FYI, guidance for pregnant employees has just been updated. I have a feeling care homes might apply:

If your work exposes you to a significantly higher risk of COVID-19 than you would be exposed to in the ‘outside world’ (i.e. in your day-to-day activities), then your employer should suspend you on full pay if there is no work that you can do from home. This would apply for example if you are a frontline NHS employee, a pharmacist or are working in a particularly busy supermarket.

[Cook7786 in reply to cggregory]

Hiya, where did you get this info x

[cggregory in reply to Cook7786]

On this web page (from Working Families, a reputable U.K. charity) workingfamilies.org.uk/arti...

[PurpleLove19]

Thank you. I’m a teacher. I was sent home yesterday and there’s always things to do from home. I’m still taking it easy but working too.

I won’t be going out- I’m really early days but I can’t afford the risk. X

[LyDu]

I am 9.5 weeks pregnant after a successful round of ICSI. I am also a nurse working in a well known busy london hospital, working inside a building cohorting the covid positive patients. The trust I work for are not allowing pregnant staff to isolate as per government guidelines, we are just being “moved” to other wards not cohorting. The problem is that the poor people testing positive for covid are on the wards we are being moved to! And my line manager has repeatedly said that despite my concerns I still have a duty of care! It’s very worrying. I don’t know what rights I have, and I’m being heavily judged for even suggesting the government guidance!

[cggregory in reply to LyDu]

Based on the page I linked to above,I think you have a right to be suspended on full pay. You should call Maternity Action or the Working Families helpline...they should be able to help. So sorry you’re going through this.