Don't know when to leave work...

[LeoLeah77]

I am 26 weeks pregnant and i work on the tills at the co-operative. Recently its getting really difficult for me to sit on the till for long periods of time dragging through item after item on the till and what makes it worse is that customers keep coming in to buy big bulky heavy boxes of beer and other alcohol as the weather is boiling atm! Not only do they keep buying that but they are buying the big heavy bags of coal for the bbqs! This is really hurting my back. Its putting strain at the top and bottom of my back and I was in tears about it at work today. You cannot leave for maternity leave until you're 29 weeks pregnant but I was wondering if I could get a doctors note to maybe leave a little earlier? Also I just found out that the co-operative don't pay for your maternity leave if you earn under £108 per week which i do as i'm part time so how do i get a benefits form to claim for maternity pay? And if i leave earlier with a doctors note will i still get paid? So confused! Any answers will be a great help!

 

[nickibrum]

Have they risk assessed you? I would ask to be put on the basket tills- no heavy items there, and if they are just ask them to keep it in the trolley and they can lift it out for you to scan. I do that all the time when I have big items like 24 pack of loo paper or 6 pack of coke.

I have no idea about your other questions hun, but if you didnt work then you would be getting SSP which is about £80. Look into the SMP again because im sure its the standard rate of £135.45, or 90 per cent of your average gross weekly earnings so either way you should get something if you have worked there long enough.

 

[My_First]

The lower earnings limit is actually currently £102, so as long as you earn over that, you will get SMP, also assuming you have been there long enough to eligiable for SMP.

https://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications...nity/statutory-maternity-pay-smp/eligibility/

 

[Twister]

According to this the lower earnings limit is £107 per week.
https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/moneyt...ort/expectingorbringingupchildren/dg_10018741

If you've worked there long enough and earn at least that amount per week you should qualify for smp, which is paid by the government through your employer (they get it reimbursed I think). If you get signed off sick unless your company offers some sort of sick pay then you'll only get ssp, since it's below the LEL it could affect your smp. If you don't qualify for smp though you may be able to get maternity allowance which you claim through the job centre. There's a lot of info on the direct gov website, I've always found it to be really helpful.

I work for asda and know exactly how you feel about people buying massive crates of alcohol and big heavy items, at the moment we're selling tv's and it's a nightmare! I'm going at 29 weeks for various reasons, literally cannot wait.

Also have you got any holiday to take? Because you can always tag that onto the start of your mat leave as well

 

[toffee87]

You should definitely have a risk assessment! They should put you on 'lighter duties'-whatever they may be in your case. Have you spoken to your manager?

 

[My_First]

You're right £102 was last years, it chnaged in April SO you will just scrape it.

 

[LeoLeah77]

Its such a chore lugging the heavy stuff through isnt it! But its kind of unavoidable. I feel like putting a big sign up above my head saying 'Im pregnant, take your heavy crap elsewhere!' Lol!!! I have managed to get a few shifts covered which i won't get paid for but i don't really care, im more bothered about the fact that i wont be straining myself! and then either i will ask the doctor to sign me off work for the next week and a bit until maternity leave, or get shifts covered or will call in sick myself until maternity leave! Cannot wait to officially leave though! Especially as its so hot here atm, the heat takes it out of me as well. Thank you for your information about maternity pay. I will have to claim for maternity pay as I earn less than £107 per week!

 

[LeoLeah77]

You should definitely have a risk assessment! They should put you on 'lighter duties'-whatever they may be in your case. Have you spoken to your manager?

Well i was on grocery before (on the shop floor stocking shelves) and they then put me on to the kiosk (which is standing at the express tills basically) and when my midwife told me i shouldn't be standing for long periods of time and my back started killing me standing up, they then placed me sitting on tills. But now at almost 27 weeks its just proving to be too much. I've got quite a bump and its all front. I get sciatica and pain on my back up top and even just sitting there at the till dragging items through is too much now but there isnt anything lighter i can do there. So it looks like i'm just going to have to do the options i listed up there! Im definitely not going back to work anytime soon!