Am i being unreasonable?

[dougie]

I work in a bookshop, my duties are to see to customers, shelve and tidy up, which doesnt bother me whatsoever, it causes me no problems because i dont have to lift any heavy boxes or do anything strenuous.
Usually there are two of us working in the section, and we have alot of work to do even when there are two of us there, however, my colleague is on holiday this week so i am left to do it on my own.
Right, so we have an inventory team, whos job is to unpack, sort and sticker the boxes when they arrive, but recently they have become complacent, and decided that i can do it myself, which means lifting boxes, emptying them, which entails going up and down and up and down, and it is certainly uncomfortable, even when i bend down properly etc. Yesterday i had to do this, and i think i have pulled some of my stomach muscles, this is whilst the inventory team had bugger all to do, stood watching, and didnt even offer to help. I am infuriated! I cant even lay down or stand up straight without hurting!
Would i be unreasonable to go to the manager and say that i cant cope? I know that every one else is busy too and i dont want to put anyone out, but i really dont think its doing the baby any good :/ Aaaand to top it off, ive been getting insanely bad headaches which make me feel so sick, and dizzy (so going up and down really doesnt help) and i was still doing a job i shouldnt even be doing! grrr!
sorry for the essay, but does anyone have any advice?
thanks girls x

 

[Mitsuko]

Not unreasonable at all! You should have done this long before, by the way.

 

[Eternal]

Work should have done a risk assessment on you by law and lifting and starining would def be in that so no its not unreasonabl;e especially when there is someone else to do that job who isnt doing it!

Def go in and talk to your boss honey, explain that the normal duties you do are no problem especially when you have help (the other worker on holiday) but these extra duties (which arnet your job) is causing you pain and discomfort and that when your pregnant your ligaments are looser and you are more supsepcatble to injury and pain.

i think this is a case where you need to stand up for yourself especially as that should of been covered by a risk assessment which is required by law.

let us know what happens. good luck honey and look after yourself and bubs!

 

[dougie]

yeah i know, but they all seem to be a right insensitive bunch and i know that if i dont do it, no-one else will, which would mean im not doing my job properly so it will all come back to me anyway grr

 

[Eternal]

Well tough, lose the job guilt and stand up for yourself. management arent doing their job by not protecting you. i know its hard, i have had simular things at work too but now i am just going to stand up for myself and stop stressing about what other people may think.

good luck honey!

 

[Buffy71]

thats why you need to point it out now. Tell your boss that the additional duties are causing you discomfort and putting pressure on your bump - I know exactly what you mean too as I unloaded (very grumpily and with lots of swearing and point making...! hehe) an overloaded recycling bag and the bending over and straightening put a real twang on my tummy. Luckily someone paid attention to my strop and came and took over.

The only way to stop people taking the pee is to stand up for yourself and your baby poppet. xx

 

[jmac]

You are more than entitled to make a stand here and should not feel bad about it in any way, shape or form.

My job is not remotely physical and yet the health and safety dept are tripping over themselves to make sure my risk assessment is acted on (I know have a fan on my desk, a laptop trolley to humph it round the country etc etc). Mind you, I work for a massive co so they have to be seen to do these things but it shouldn't matter - nothing in your workplace should put you or your baby at risk supposing you work in a company of 10000000people or 2 people.

Good luck.

 

[dani_tinks]

Noooo so not unreasonable. I was in a similar situation. I work in the hospital, ward clerk duties.. lifting big bags full of hospital notes, moving notes around ... some are huge sets with lots of volumes. It hurts me to bend over let alone carry these. Ive had a word with my manager and though she wasn't very pleased she's agreed that the nurses will have to help out with the carrying, it's just not possible for me to. Stand up for yourself, you have to put yourself and your LO first xx

 

[dougie]

when did you guys get your risk assessment? im nearly 17 weeks and it hasnt even been mentioned?
i think i will play it up today, as i cant actually stand up straight and am walking like an old lady because it hurts :/
there are two of us pregnant at my work, which doesnt really help because my colleague still does stuff she doesnt (which makes me feel guilty)
i work for a fairly large company, yet they still seem to be 100% useless

 

[dani_tinks]

Had mine at 12 weeks but I think it's an ongoing think as you get nearer i'm not too sure how it all works though!

 

[Buffy71]

Do NOT feel guilty! Every pregnancy and everyone is different. Some people sail through without a twinge - others have a tougher time. You look after your baby - let her worry about hers.

Re assessment - they should have undertaken it when you told them you were preggers.

Is it a large chain of bookstores or a one off?

 

[Mrs Muffin]

I work in a shop and I had alot of heavy lifting to do before I was pregnant. When I told my boss I was pregnant he did a risk assessment (at about 8 weeks, I believe he has to do another one soon) and banned me from lifting tote boxes. We also discussed as I progress in the pregnancy it won't be good for me to bend down to the bottom shelves (squashing bump) and that I may need a chair to sit at the till. Your company HAS to do a risk assessment. You shouldn't be doing anything that makes you feel physically uncomfortable and hurts your bump. Even if these weren't extra duties and were part of your everyday job then they have to give you alternative work. In fact people in dangerous jobs (working with chemicals or in other physical danger) have to be given a suitable or alternative or suspended on full pay.

https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Parents/Moneyandworkentitlements/WorkAndFamilies/Pregnancyandmaternityrights/DG_10026556 Direct gov sets it out better than I do

 

[QTPie]

Not unreasonable at all! You should have done this long before, by the way.

Agreed with Mitsuko and everyone else

QT

 

[Eternal]

regarding risk assessment - You should have one as soon as you tell them, i was really early like 5 weeks as i had 3 threatened miscarriages so i told my boss incase i needed to leave or was off etc. she did one as soon as possible and banned me doing certain duties, including lifing, bending etc

i had other people tell me "when i was pregnant i still did that/this" but know what? i dont care, i didnt decide on the risk assessment the law did and frankly i dont want to cuase myself or baby any pain or discomfort so tough i wont be lifting etc.

on the other hand i do do a lot that i prob shouldnt at home, lifting, carrying, scrippting wall paper, on step ladders etc but thats my choice but i wont let work take advantahe of me, and neither should you. they have a lagal obligation and just cos your colleuge isnt looking out for herself doesnt mean you shouldnt.

If soemthing did happen to you i.e back injury i am sure your work would find someway of saying i didnt expect her to do that and try and get out of it so look after yourself and stand up to them.

 

[dougie]

yeah they have given us a 'chair' (a wooden box with a cushion on it :/) for when we are at the till, but thats about they best they have done so far
im going to have a word with my manager today and let him know that it is impractical, and downright wrong that ive hurt myself doing someone elses job and get on to him about doing the risk assessment
yeah its a pretty big chain, but the HR bloke is an utter twerp who just sits reading and playing on the internet all day (if i was the GM, id have sacked his ass months ago) which doesnt really help matters

 

[puppycat]

I'd say even if you weren't pg you should let your boss know that the others aren't doing their job.

Why the hell should you do their job?! Pfffffffffffffff

 

[jmac]

I had my risk assessment done pretty much as soon as I told work which was at about 16 weeks. I've also got regular appointments with our occupational health nurse as well through my pregnancy so she can check desk ergonomics etc as I get bigger and also look at working from home options if it's all getting a bit difficult in the office. I've got the option of getting my car parking space moved closer as well if I'm finding if difficult to walk from where I usually park.

By law, companies pretty much have to move mountains to enact their duty of care to make sure that you and your baby are as safe as can be throughout your pregnancy. (Cynically, if they had anything about them they'd be doing this to cap their liability in the event of something negative happening but it seems that there are lots of places out there that still don't get it).

Re-other people still carrying on as if they weren't pg, don't let it bother you. My boss who is currently on maternity leave, was still working 15-16 hour days, driving ridiculous distances to meetings etc at 38 weeks gone but there is just no way I can even think about matching this so don't plan to even try. Go with what your body is telling you and sod anyone else who makes you feel bad. You know yourself better than anyone. x

 

[dougie]

thankyou ladies
had a word with my boss and he wasnt pleased that everyone was being so insensitive!
he had been emailed, with a filled out form, of my risk assessment, along with my colleague who is also pregnant. WE HAVENT HAD A RISK ASSESSMENT! the lazy HR manager had faked it so that he didnt have to do it! i seriously cant believe it, we were both absolutely fuming!
but my boss was great, he kept coming down to check if i need him to do anything which was really nice, and he told me that i have some ass kicking to do if the buggers in the back dont start doing THEIR job!

 

[Mrs Muffin]

I can't believe that HR manager, you should make an official complaint about him faking the risk assessment

 

[QTPie]

Good

Definitely get that risk assessment done too.

QT