The excitement of starting a family or extending a family means legalities are often overlooked; this is easily understandable but it is important that you are treated fairly during pregnancy. If your employer is not abiding to the laws, they are in danger of encouraging legal action and you are well within your rights to sue.
Any employer must be understanding of your pregnancy as part ofUKlaw, whether or not you are expected to work justifiably depends on the type of job you have, how physically demanding it is and the personal complications you may have with your pregnancy. For example, if you suffer a pregnancy-related illness during the four weeks before your baby is due, your maternity leave and Statutory Maternity Pay will start automatically, no matter what you had agreed with your employer, if the employer argues otherwise you should seek legal advice.
No employer can treat you unfairly or discriminate against you because you are pregnant. Your employer has a legal requirement to carry out a risk assessment and if your work conditions can’t be made suitable then you must be given time off on full pay. Risks include long working hours, lifting heavy loads, sitting or standing for long periods of time or exposure to toxic chemicals and substances.
In terms of pay, you are legally entitled to 52 weeks of statutory maternity leave, which is made of 26 weeks of ordinary maternity leave and 26 weeks of additional maternity leave. You may start your maternity leave anytime onwards from the 29th week of pregnancy (11 weeks before your due date) and you must inform your employer in writing of your pregnancy at least 15 weeks before your due date.
If you believe you have been discriminated against or treated poorly due to the fact you are pregnant, then you should seek legal advice from a qualified solicitor, however due to the stern time limits in making a discrimination claim, you should seek this as soon as possible.
Post by Chris, who works for a criminal law solicitors in Hereford.