ADVICE NEEDED ON PREGNANT STAFF

Staffs we are certainly never going to agree on this one
smirk.gif
My blood boils that this behaviour is allowed to happen. I am not against women having babies, of course I am not, I am a mother of 2, but there is absolutely no WAY I could have bled my employer dry whilst I was off work for months on end, knowing that he would be struggling hugely to make ends meet - THAT is what makes my blood boil, that certain women see it as perfectly acceptable to do this.
 
agree - the goverment needs to look at ways to help out small companies and also pregnant women. There is also no encouragement for women who want to get back to work to be able to do so, unless you are in reciept of benefits. We run our own company but i was working elsewhere when pregnant, the whole pc thing has gone to far, sounds like shes abusing the system to me. Do the risk assesment and go from there.
 
Does this person have horses of her own, will she continue to look after them?

Having spent the last 7 months and will be the next 5 months doing the work of two people for no extra pay, and seeing them coming back on less hours for the same pay I think I am allowed to have a say and a moan.
 
I am fully in sympathy with the OP. I used to own a saddlery - we were a small business - just 3 members of staff. If one got pregnant I would have had to shut the business down as no way could I have run it with two staff. And no way could I have afforded to pay maternity pay and employ someone to cover. I would love to say don;t employ single women of childbearing age - because for a small business that would be the only way to realistically go, because then you are at risk for discrimination. Our employment laws are fine for large businesses, they have the financial scope to cover the employment legislation. Small businesses and business start ups don't and one woman's right to have a child is another ones bankruptcy.

Legislation needs to be in place to protect small businesses, something about turnover/profit and employment legislation. I agree workers rights need to be protected - BUT if the employer has financial difficulties because of the pregnancy that cannot ber right.
 
Bosworth I truly hear what you are saying and maybe the government should look towards giving financial help towards small companies who have a turnover of less than X amount of K per annum and ensuring that they can financially afford to take on/keep on staff who are pregnant or women in general.
In my own case when I had my daughter I was not working at the time. My husband supported me and after my daughter was born due to the low wage he was on we were entitled to family credit as it was then called. I went back to college in 1996 ( third time going back to improve qualifications) when I was 24 and my daughter was nearly 2. Then spent 3 years at uni, daughter was then of school age and started working freelance in 2001. Graduated in 2002 and didn't start working full time until 2004 due to a number of reasons. Now not in work at the moment as I am currently seeking a way to progress into teaching and it will involve college/studies again.
Before I had my daughter I was not being taken seriously in any job I was applying for. I did have good qualifications from school so I cannot understand why. I got married at 19 ( day before I was 20) and on numerous occasions when applying for jobs my marriage was brought up and I was asked if I planned to have children etc. It did ps me off to be honest because I believe those to be personal questions to be asked. I had planned to have children in may late twenties early thirties originally but due to not being able to get my foot on the ladder I decided to have her young and then start a career path. I also wanted to spend a few years at home with my daughter and if I had been employed whilst pregnant I would have felt obligated to return to work. Nothing has gone smoothly, c'est la vie I suppose. Now my daughter is 13 and I can firmly convince employers that I don't want anymore children I feel that I can press on ahead with a career after feeling intimidated when I was younger by employers.
I wholeheartedly support anyone who wishes to mix bringing up children with work and I take my hat off to them. I could not do it personally, it was hard enough being at college and uni never mind being employed and still being responsible for (a) child(ren) at the end of the day. But I still don't think that any woman should feel pressurised into not having children through work/employer pressures.
That said I do know that there are mickey takers when it comes to maternity leave etc but there is in all walks of life and situations.
How many people do you know who conned the benefit system or employers out of sick pay especially long term when in fact they were able to work but knew how to act and what to say? I can think of a few I know. Could not prove it though at the time but I am convinced they were mickey taking.
Stinkerstonkersmum I can think of numerous situations in which I have done the job of at least two people for the same pay or of people who have used an early retirement scheme to good effect for example.
I don't think that maternity leave candidates are alone in causing mayhem for employers/employees, even though I am not sure if it is they you are referring to.
I can also think of times I have provided sick cover for people, going in on my day off for example, for no extra pay ( ie overtime rates) or even a thanks.
Even last year I had the mickey taken out of me when I was working with someone else doing the same job. I had to do their job as well as my own for over a week before I had a well earned holiday. I returned back to find I was about to spend the most of the 6 weeks holiday ( only time I really had time to spend with my daughter as she goes to her dad's every other weekend and most school hols) working on my own as this person had block booked time off while I was away on my own holiday without even discussing anything with me. Needless to say I was rather psd off about it. So for me personally I don't necessarily view those on maternity leave as being the only people who can cause an upset to the staff rota/hours.

Weezy I commend you on what you did though and you obviously had a very good relationship with the business you were working at. I think if you have a good job and working conditions etc and all that could be threatened by your own actions then fair enough I think there are people that may have done the same. I don't know if I would have done to be honest. It would depend on the job and how nice the employers were. To be honest I do prefer the smaller companies because in most cases you have an identity and not just a payroll number. I suppose my decision would also be based on my level of finances at the time as well.
We can agree to disagree though on matters though it makes no difference to me. We are all individuals and as such entitled to our own opinions and beliefs. It would be a very sad and old boring world if everyone had the same opinions though lol.
Caz
 
Errrr sorry, but this post makes me think your groom is probably working in horrible conditions with a fairly evil boss, who she obviously dosne't give a hoot for and would like every penny out of.
If I became pregnant (and yes I am a groom) I would continue at work, but I like my boss, but there are certain duties I would not undertake ie, riding breakers, mucking out ove r a certain amount of boxs and anything that involved heavy lifting. I'm afraid employers here have a very poor view of what a grooms work should entail, and there is grooming and grooming. I don't think that anyone should be made to slave away all day for hundreds of horses, for minimum wage. A skilled groom is an asset, and you should treat them as such, as they are few and far between. ie. in our yard of about 8 staff, only 2 of us can plait up for hunting, how stupid is that?! Only 3 people can clip and only 2 of the grooms (myself included) will actually ride.
 
[ QUOTE ]
I think that most of us on here have had children, and are not aniti pregnancy, however we carried on with our jobs whilst pregnant and are really just conveying that the world should not stop because you are pregnant, unless of course under doctors orders because your pregnancy is at risk. And as I stated if you are an employer of a very small company/team it does put a real strain on finances and other employees who are expected to pick up the work.

[/ QUOTE ]

What she said.

I was picky about what I rode when i was pregnant, especially in the latter months, but did everything else for my horses, and managed to work full time too. Fortunately my employer was large enough to be able to find a job for me with reduced risks.

Nobody is saying that women of childbearing age shouldn't be employed, but being forced to pay somebody who can contribute very little in the work place can break a business - and if she really is that weak then there is something more wrong with her than simply being pregnant - and she should be off sick
 
Agree reduce hours with every poss excuse, summer, economic climate etc, also fantastic idea, few weeks ironing and cleaning tack and she'll be dying to poop scoop!!!
If your anywhere near me you can have all my ironing and I'll get my tack filthy for you, just give the word and I'm off out for some mud!!
Stupid situation, definatly look into this as my old YO rode until 8.5 months (though she needed a LOT of help getting on and off and only rode plods towards the end) and I was mucking out, riding etc and working part time at a kennels untill I miscarried (result of car crash not job/riding!!). I thought the mother's body was designed to protect unborn baby? I agree with her she should maybe limit exposure to the yard lunatic but surely not all the horses are likely to damage her?

Best of luck with this, going now before rant about piss takers and dole dossers start to appear as I type!!!

She did not get pregnant alone so who ever he is should help, and there are very few 'accidents', that implies taking precaution, if it was planned she should have discussed it and sorted an action plan with you as part of planning, if not, what did she think unprotected sex led to????
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top