Work and pregnancy...

[BrightLights]

Hiya

I have a few questions about working etc...
1) My job is so unbelievably stressful and I hate it at the mo, I work for a bank and have sales targets coming out of my ears, I spoke to my manager about demoting myself but the only job below me is 'meet and greet' ie stand on feet all day!!! So I have the choice of stress or standing on feet all day...I dont know which I would prefer right now!!

2) Work have also told me that when I return from maternity leave I can only go back with the hours I do now ie full time, which I defo do not want, so my question is do I either quit in december when Im due to go on maternity leave and claim maternity allowance then get part time job OR stay with them take maternity leave and see what happens maybe pay money back?

Decisons decisions lol
xxx

 

[TiredNurse27]

I'm in a similar boat with the NHS. I work in surgical outpatients so no evenings or weekends but it's a 42hr week.

I can have a good maternity package but I have to return to work for a minimum of 3 months or I have to pay it all back.

Either that or go on SMP and say I'm not going back. Which means if I went for another job I would end up on a ward where the hours aren't family friendly at all.

I'm gonna try and beg for part-time, is there any way you could do that too?

 

[BrightLights]

Im fairly new so need to get those brownie points in the bag before I think I can plead!! But certainly will try! Good luck, hope they let you go part time too.

I hate feeling stressed in pregnancy I want to enjoy it and in my head 24/7 is that Im behind target at work!!!
xxx

 

[Tia]

On the directgov website they tell you about requesting flexible working hours. It says;

Anyone can ask their employer for flexible work arrangements, but the law provides some employees with the statutory right to request a flexible working pattern.

You must:

•be an employee, but not an agency worker or in the armed forces
•have worked for your employer for 26 weeks' continuously before applying
•not have made another application to work flexibly under the right during the past 12 months
You will then have the statutory right to ask if you:

•have or expect to have parental responsibility of a child aged under 17
•have or expect to have parental responsibility of a disabled child under 18 who receives Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
•are the parent/guardian/special guardian/foster parent/private foster carer or as the holder of a residence order or the spouse, partner or civil partner of one of these and are applying to care for the child
•are a carer who cares, or expects to be caring, for an adult who is a spouse, partner, civil partner or relative; or who although not related to you, lives at the same address as you
Under the law your employer must seriously consider an application you make, and only reject it if there are good business reasons for doing so. You have the right to ask for flexible working - not the right to have it. Employers can reasonably decline your application where there is a legitimate business ground.