How To Manage Pregnancy In The UK Workplace

A pregnant woman is still entitled to do her job. It may be that some allowances have to be made if they endanger the unborn child and as a manager you will need to accommodate such things. If for example her job involves lifting heavy boxes then this could be an issue. Either this part of the job will need to be done by somebody else or some kind of equipment will be necessary to help her lift.

There are certain legal requirements for pregnant women in the workplace. These are designed to protect the woman and the company and the first thing to do is familiarise yourself with the regulations to avoid mistakes. Talk to your HR department if you have one. If not then find out how legislation affects you. Pregnant women for example are entitled to paid leave to attend antenatal appointments in the UK. In return the pregnant employee has some obligations such as telling you about it at least fifteen weeks before the due date.

As a manager you must allow the woman to attend these antenatal appointments, but it would not be unreasonable for you to request that a system is put into place to cover the woman while she is away. It is unlikely that a woman will need to take an entire day off to attend an appointment so it may be that no special requirements are necessary. If there is a morning appointment and some tasks must be completed during that time then a procedure should be in place. Perhaps she could document instructions for the task and appoint and train someone to complete them on the day she is away. This would not be unreasonable or discriminatory as you would need to do the same thing if a male member of staff had a medical appointment and needed time off. It may be worth taking the time to ask all employees to create similar documentation for any of their tasks in case they are off. This will therefore not single out the pregnant employee.

When a female member of staff tells you she is pregnant it is a good idea to complete a risk assessment. Make sure that you include the woman in this so she does not feel unfairly treated. Make sure that she knows you want to keep her safe during her pregnancy. Arrange a meeting with the woman to go through her tasks and see if she feels anything is dangerous or difficult for her to complete while pregnant. If there is a risk then the employee can be offered other suitable work or should be removed from the risk. This should be handled sensitively to avoid confrontation or the feeling of unfair treatment. If the employee feels you are unfairly taking work away from her which is not part of the risk out of bullying or spite then she will be able to take action against you.

At the same time as a courtesy you should talk to her about any other issues she may be having. It is normal for a pregnant woman to use the bathroom more frequently and to have nausea. Bear in mind that this is not something she wants, but something she cannot help. Be patient and conscious that if she regularly throws up first thing at the office, meetings would be better completed after lunch.

One of the most important things is that as a manager you do not discriminate against the woman simply because she is pregnant. You cannot start changing her contract without her permission. You cannot start taking work away from her without her permission. One of the worse things you can do is to try and get rid of her by giving a previously good worker bad reviews and generally trying to elbow her out in an effort to avoid paying for her maternity leave. Whether you like it or not there is legislation to protect pregnant women and as a manager you must follow it. It is far better to continue getting the most out of a pregnant woman and allowing her to return to work rather than alienating her and treating her unfairly. You are putting yourself in great risk if you do this as she will be able to take action against you. Most women are more than capable of continuing as before and more importantly they do not want to be treated as invalids or someone who is suddenly incapable.

Thousands of women from all sorts of working environments become pregnant and continue to work. If there is goodwill on both sides then there is no reason that this should continue. There is a government website with more details on the rights of pregnant women and it is worth looking into. It is also worth considering if any other employees need information. If they see a pregnant woman taking paid time off and do not understand why then they may feel resentment. Offer advice to all people who want it and encourage discussion between employees.