Pregnant and need advice!

[Witlessraisin]

Hi everyone.
I am 11 weeks pregnant and informed the acting DOM at my office that I was so, about 4 weeks ago. As yet I have had no risk assessment and have carried on with my usual workload even pressured into overtime and working my rest day due to staff shortages (we alaways have staff shortages!). I am usually the morning PHG in charge of opening up very early, collecting sequenced mail (heavy trays), locker duties, delivery of mail/parcels, converyance of people and pouches and also collections if I have to cover them or work the full 13 hour day as PHG covering annual leave.
Quite frankly I am struggling with this as it is, I feel exhausted, dizzy, sick and long to get home and collapse in the cool and sleep.
In the last week I have had to go out on long rural deliveries with no consideration. Now I have been told that as of Monday I have to vacate the locker all together to allow yet another person returning on light duties to do something, and after opening, collecting sequence mail, doing the tracks, specials and computer reports I am to finish prepping a walk round and then deliver it!! Oh and finish in my time?!!
Am I being selfish here in thinking that I am being pressured into excess work, extra stress and further exhaustion when I should be taking extra care during these first twelve or so weeks when miscarriage is highest? My boss has supposedly been told that Royal Mail doesn't regard it important to take action until at least 20 weeks. Is this true?

All help and advice is much appreciated.

[Judgee]

No such thing as a PHG no more!

As for your condition, see your local rep but I am pretty sure you don't get any help/consideration until a few months into your pregnancy? Girl in our office was on normal duties for about 6 months before they started lightening the load!

[Thehair]

Get you rep or area rep on the case immedietly. You're not being selfish or anything like that, you've got genuine concerns. Each case should be judged on it's own merits, there are no hard and fast criteria:

"My boss has supposedly been told that Royal Mail doesn't regard it important to take action until at least 20 weeks. Is this true?
Probably not, and you've just been fobbed off.
Good luck with the pregnancy and hope everything works out ok

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Hi everyone.
I am 11 weeks pregnant and informed the acting DOM at my office that I was so, about 4 weeks ago. As yet I have had no risk assessment and have carried on with my usual workload even pressured into overtime and working my rest day due to staff shortages (we alaways have staff shortages!). I am usually the morning PHG in charge of opening up very early, collecting sequenced mail (heavy trays), locker duties, delivery of mail/parcels, converyance of people and pouches and also collections if I have to cover them or work the full 13 hour day as PHG covering annual leave.
Quite frankly I am struggling with this as it is, I feel exhausted, dizzy, sick and long to get home and collapse in the cool and sleep.
In the last week I have had to go out on long rural deliveries with no consideration. Now I have been told that as of Monday I have to vacate the locker all together to allow yet another person returning on light duties to do something, and after opening, collecting sequence mail, doing the tracks, specials and computer reports I am to finish prepping a walk round and then deliver it!! Oh and finish in my time?!!
Am I being selfish here in thinking that I am being pressured into excess work, extra stress and further exhaustion when I should be taking extra care during these first twelve or so weeks when miscarriage is highest? My boss has supposedly been told that Royal Mail doesn't regard it important to take action until at least 20 weeks. Is this true?

All help and advice is much appreciated.

No your not.

Your rep needs to contact branch and get this manager sorted/made aware that they may be breaking the law. They have to do a risk assessment as soon as possible and 4 weeks is not that.

check out this links and threads for advice

http://www.cwu.org/assets/_files/docume ... Rights.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.royalmailchat.co.uk/communit ... cy#p426194" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.cwu.org/assets/_files/docume ... acts_R.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[arnold cheshire]

Hi everyone.
I am 11 weeks pregnant and informed the acting DOM at my office that I was so, about 4 weeks ago. As yet I have had no risk assessment and have carried on with my usual workload even pressured into overtime and working my rest day due to staff shortages (we alaways have staff shortages!). I am usually the morning PHG in charge of opening up very early, collecting sequenced mail (heavy trays), locker duties, delivery of mail/parcels, converyance of people and pouches and also collections if I have to cover them or work the full 13 hour day as PHG covering annual leave.
Quite frankly I am struggling with this as it is, I feel exhausted, dizzy, sick and long to get home and collapse in the cool and sleep.
In the last week I have had to go out on long rural deliveries with no consideration. Now I have been told that as of Monday I have to vacate the locker all together to allow yet another person returning on light duties to do something, and after opening, collecting sequence mail, doing the tracks, specials and computer reports I am to finish prepping a walk round and then deliver it!! Oh and finish in my time?!!
Am I being selfish here in thinking that I am being pressured into excess work, extra stress and further exhaustion when I should be taking extra care during these first twelve or so weeks when miscarriage is highest? My boss has supposedly been told that Royal Mail doesn't regard it important to take action until at least 20 weeks. Is this true?

All help and advice is much appreciated.

maybe you should tell a properDOM not an acting DOM

[feduppostie]

they are telling you absolute rubbish

From the moment you inform them you are pregnant there is a procedure to follow - especially during the first 12 weeks - you MUST be risk assessed - if your DOM insists there is nothing to do before 20 weeks you may want to ask him what the risk assessment groups are for pregnant women are - I know for a fact the first one is up to 14 weeks, the next one from 14 weeks onwards and the last one is later on

Good luck with your pregnancy and I hope you get this sorted, stress is the last thing you need

[UnhappyGremlin]

It is not you who is being unreasonable.
The manager/DOM is way out of line, and it appears is showing complete disregard for you and your unborn child, so that they may find it easier to staff up duties and save money.
See you Rep/Area Rep/Area H&S Rep, and ask to speak to a DSM about it.
They are moving you out of the locker to give someone else light duties? You should also be on light duties, and weeks ago at that.
It is entirely unacceptable, and it should not go any further.

P.S. Congratulations.

[barrowc]

Tell Moya about it also. justsayit@royalmail.com

Might also want to flag it up to Linda Roy (National Equality Officer) @ CWU HQ - lroy@cwu.org

[Witlessraisin]

Thank you everyone. Some very helpful and kind advice posted.

I wish I could say this subject matter had moved on a bit since I first posted but it hasn't, at all.
I've asked my union rep to look into it (unfortunately he's new to being a rep) and just went to the same manager and reiterated the 20 week "rule".

A concerned senior colleague has been trying to find out some more info for me and today we got some great photocopies of HSE rules for any employer. It supports exactly what alot of you have said and what I thought was right.

We haven't had a proper DOM at our office in years. Just seem to be used as a training ground for ambitious yet cluless wannabe managers trying to make a name for themselves. We've all had to put up with some rubbish over the years there, but I think I'm going to have to ruffle some feathers and make a stand on this.

It's not that I want it easy! I just want to work safely for as long as possible.

As this acting DOM has swanned off on his hols for a fortnight leaving an inept trainee in his place I guess I will just have to go staright to HR and put my concerns in writing.

again thanks for your support and congratulations, cheers all! I'll let you know how this goes.

[fishtank]

Might also want to flag it up to Linda Roy (National Equality Officer) @ CWU HQ - lroy@cwu.org

She's on her holibobs.

[D_anna]

Thank you everyone. Some very helpful and kind advice posted.

I wish I could say this subject matter had moved on a bit since I first posted but it hasn't, at all.
I've asked my union rep to look into it (unfortunately he's new to being a rep) and just went to the same manager and reiterated the 20 week "rule".

A concerned senior colleague has been trying to find out some more info for me and today we got some great photocopies of HSE rules for any employer. It supports exactly what alot of you have said and what I thought was right.

We haven't had a proper DOM at our office in years. Just seem to be used as a training ground for ambitious yet cluless wannabe managers trying to make a name for themselves. We've all had to put up with some rubbish over the years there, but I think I'm going to have to ruffle some feathers and make a stand on this.

It's not that I want it easy! I just want to work safely for as long as possible.


As this acting DOM has swanned off on his hols for a fortnight leaving an inept trainee in his place I guess I will just have to go staright to HR and put my concerns in writing.

again thanks for your support and congratulations, cheers all! I'll let you know how this goes.

Bumped ?