Covid, Diabetes, Pregnancy & Work

[kelstar]

Hey guys, please can anyone offer advice or personal experiences of how they have or are managing work and their pregnancy during all this Covid stuff?

I am 19+6 and have just found on the gov. website that if you are pregnant and have an underlying health condition or were told to shield (I was) that you should ask to work from home or if unable then be suspended with pay.

I however, am a carer working in clients own homes providing 1:1 personal and high level care to patients so obviously can't work from home, I can't socially distance and I come into contact with all sorts of bodily fluids. I assume this means I should be suspended with pay? Just to make things more difficult though, I am on a zero hour contract.

So where does this leave me, I am obviously now scared for my unborn child and my safety. 😱 What should I do, if any of you have personal experience then it would be gratefully received.

OHHH, I also have fluid leaking at the back of my left eye which sometimes effects my vision. This is due to both diabetes and pregnancy, I am awaiting another risk assessment but I'm not holding out much hope.

Thanks. 🙂

 

[Inka]

Zero hours contracts are awful. Have you received any advice from your consultant or team? I think I’d see if I could be signed off sick first. Then I’d use an online benefits calculator and see what I’d get on UC. I’d also seek advice re your contract. Will you get Maternity Pay on a zero hours contract, etc.What are you planning to do when your baby is born?

 

[kelstar]

Zero hours contracts are awful. Have you received any advice from your consultant or team? I think I’d see if I could be signed off sick first. Then I’d use an online benefits calculator and see what I’d get on UC. I’d also seek advice re your contract. Will you get Maternity Pay on a zero hours contract, etc.What are you planning to do when your baby is born

My team haven't actually said anything about this to me as of yet. If i get signed off sick then it would be maternity allowance rather than statutory sick pay which isn't a huge difference to what I would get anyway as I only do two days a week which is approx £180 per week after deductions. So I think I need to speak with my team and seek some advice.
Originally I was going to take my maternity as normal with statutory pay, which I could still do if suspended with full pay but I doubt they would be willing.

My only other option is to request furlough I guess, that continues until the 30th September and I would be taking Maternity from the 13th September but it depends again on whether my employer would be willing and I doubt they are.

 

[Bobbiete]

Hi Kelster
How up to date was the info you read? I only ask because my employer was working on the premise that I would work from home at 28 weeks as per government guidance but this has now changed and pregnant women are apparently being told that it is safe to work in their third trimester. They sent me the info but unfortunately I can’t find it to pass it on to you sorry.
Are you vaccinated yet?

 

[Lucyr]

Is the information you are reading up to date?

Heres the latest advice for CEV people “From 19 July, social distancing measures have ended in the workplace and it is no longer necessary for the government to instruct people to work from home.”

COVID-19: guidance for people whose immune system means they are at higher risk

Guidance for people aged 12 and over whose immune system means they are at higher risk of serious illness if they become infected with COVID-19.

www.gov.uk

 

[Lucyr]

There is also this page, which may help you request different duties, but not sure how up to date it is as whilst it says updated 21st July 2021 some parts dont mean much now social distancing Is lifted “Your employer should ensure you are able to adhere to any active national guidance on social distancing.”

[Withdrawn] [Withdrawn] Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for pregnant employees

www.gov.uk