I've been in my job for 9 months, and work in a concession in a department store, where my wages are split equally between the two.
I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant, and found out when I was five weeks. I told both the department store I work for and my company straight away.
(I want to point out that since leaving school I have never been unemployed. Even whilst studying for a degree, I worked nights and two other jobs, as I like keeping busy and being on the go! And I do want to continue in work, just so you don't think i'm trying to cop out!)
At week five of the pregnancy I was admitted to hospital with a suspected ectopic pregnancy, and luckily this was not the case. I was in hospital for four days, due to abdominal pain. I contacted my employers each day to phone in sick and when I came back showed my discharge notes from the hospital to proove the time off sick was pregnancy related.
At week 8 of the pregnancy I had to leave a shift early as I had been sick numerous times and had tried to carry on with my shift, but then started chucking up blood! Worried, I contacted both my company and the duty manager of the store saying that I had to go to a&e and would make up the hours. (Turns out I was dehydrated, a good drip sorted me out!)
At week 9 of the pregnancy, I was hospitalised again for a week, with abdominal pain, and bleeding. At first they thought it was early stages of miscarriage, but thank God, it turns out it was gestational kidney stones. Again I phoned in sick following the company policy, showed my discharge notes, and when I was advised to stay off work for two weeks by the doctor, I agreed, as I started to think... maybe I shouldn't be this ill all the time!
I took the sick note, offered to send it to work which they assured me wasn't needed urgently.
My company then offered me flexible hours, including the option of less days/less hours to help with morning sickness, which i've had quite badly.
When I returned to work, this offer was now not available. I was told I was expected to come back full time. I agreed, as I felt guilty for having so much time off, but was a bit unsure of why this offer had changed.
Now I'm at week 14 and lucky me, was admitted to hospital again the other day, with severe dehydration (I wasn't keeping liquids/food down) after going faint in work. Again, discharge notes at the ready!
I've asked to have a risk assessment done, for a number of reasons but have still not been confirmed a date for this.
The problem I am having mainly is my department manager, who shakes her head at me whenever I sit down for a minute when I'm feeling dizzy/sick, who wouldn't allow me or another pregnant girl to have water on our counters to keep rehydrated, and who follows me into the back to see what I'm doing, when I'm having a toilet break/ getting a drink. When I nearly fainted in work, the first aider had to contact her to give permission for me to leave the store to go to A&E. She said to the first aider "I'm not going in there to speak to her - she's only come back this morning how can she be ill again", which wasnt true as I'd been back for a week or so (I heard her say this through the door, and the first aider sheepishly came in and apologised saying she must be too busy)
I have had talks with my line manager at my company who has said that this department manager is extremely concerned about how much time i'm having off and is not pleased at all.
Other staff in the department are also tending to compare me to another pregnant woman who works there, who found out she was pregnant at 5 months and has had no admissions to hospital/morning sickness or absences.
I hate being off work and can understand if they think I'm taking the mick, or using the pregnancy card, but I'm doing everything I can to show them the sickness is pregnancy related and have shown discharge notes, hospital wristbands, sick notes etc.
Also, when I came back to work from hospital after the worry of being told I could have been in the early stages of miscarriage, I saw my department manager who mentioned my absence by saying 'nice of you to show up', I said 'I'm really sorry I was off, hopefully the worst is over now' and she said "Oh are you still pregnant, I thought you would've lost it"
I was really hurt by this comment, and didn't understand how this was acceptable to say to any pregnant woman.
I'm really sorry for the rant! I am just wondering whether this behaviour is unacceptable, or whether I am actually being a pain being off so much and maybe I just need to suck it up, and try and get on with the next few months! Maybe its just hormones!
I have to admit I am beginning to dread going in, mostly because it involves standing up for nearly 9 hours, where I get penalised for sitting down/drinking water. And also because of this department manager.
What do you think girlies!
I'm currently 14 weeks pregnant, and found out when I was five weeks. I told both the department store I work for and my company straight away.
(I want to point out that since leaving school I have never been unemployed. Even whilst studying for a degree, I worked nights and two other jobs, as I like keeping busy and being on the go! And I do want to continue in work, just so you don't think i'm trying to cop out!)
At week five of the pregnancy I was admitted to hospital with a suspected ectopic pregnancy, and luckily this was not the case. I was in hospital for four days, due to abdominal pain. I contacted my employers each day to phone in sick and when I came back showed my discharge notes from the hospital to proove the time off sick was pregnancy related.
At week 8 of the pregnancy I had to leave a shift early as I had been sick numerous times and had tried to carry on with my shift, but then started chucking up blood! Worried, I contacted both my company and the duty manager of the store saying that I had to go to a&e and would make up the hours. (Turns out I was dehydrated, a good drip sorted me out!)
At week 9 of the pregnancy, I was hospitalised again for a week, with abdominal pain, and bleeding. At first they thought it was early stages of miscarriage, but thank God, it turns out it was gestational kidney stones. Again I phoned in sick following the company policy, showed my discharge notes, and when I was advised to stay off work for two weeks by the doctor, I agreed, as I started to think... maybe I shouldn't be this ill all the time!
I took the sick note, offered to send it to work which they assured me wasn't needed urgently.
My company then offered me flexible hours, including the option of less days/less hours to help with morning sickness, which i've had quite badly.
When I returned to work, this offer was now not available. I was told I was expected to come back full time. I agreed, as I felt guilty for having so much time off, but was a bit unsure of why this offer had changed.
Now I'm at week 14 and lucky me, was admitted to hospital again the other day, with severe dehydration (I wasn't keeping liquids/food down) after going faint in work. Again, discharge notes at the ready!
I've asked to have a risk assessment done, for a number of reasons but have still not been confirmed a date for this.
The problem I am having mainly is my department manager, who shakes her head at me whenever I sit down for a minute when I'm feeling dizzy/sick, who wouldn't allow me or another pregnant girl to have water on our counters to keep rehydrated, and who follows me into the back to see what I'm doing, when I'm having a toilet break/ getting a drink. When I nearly fainted in work, the first aider had to contact her to give permission for me to leave the store to go to A&E. She said to the first aider "I'm not going in there to speak to her - she's only come back this morning how can she be ill again", which wasnt true as I'd been back for a week or so (I heard her say this through the door, and the first aider sheepishly came in and apologised saying she must be too busy)
I have had talks with my line manager at my company who has said that this department manager is extremely concerned about how much time i'm having off and is not pleased at all.
Other staff in the department are also tending to compare me to another pregnant woman who works there, who found out she was pregnant at 5 months and has had no admissions to hospital/morning sickness or absences.
I hate being off work and can understand if they think I'm taking the mick, or using the pregnancy card, but I'm doing everything I can to show them the sickness is pregnancy related and have shown discharge notes, hospital wristbands, sick notes etc.
Also, when I came back to work from hospital after the worry of being told I could have been in the early stages of miscarriage, I saw my department manager who mentioned my absence by saying 'nice of you to show up', I said 'I'm really sorry I was off, hopefully the worst is over now' and she said "Oh are you still pregnant, I thought you would've lost it"
I was really hurt by this comment, and didn't understand how this was acceptable to say to any pregnant woman.
I'm really sorry for the rant! I am just wondering whether this behaviour is unacceptable, or whether I am actually being a pain being off so much and maybe I just need to suck it up, and try and get on with the next few months! Maybe its just hormones!
I have to admit I am beginning to dread going in, mostly because it involves standing up for nearly 9 hours, where I get penalised for sitting down/drinking water. And also because of this department manager.
What do you think girlies!
