Pregnancy experiences vary widely and, while many women report little to no issues, they may experience a wide range of health problems. Pregnancy can be difficult, both physically and emotionally, and employees may not always be forthcoming with the issues they are facing, particularly if fearing being perceived as a burden (see also Fear of job insecurity and negative career implications – add link).
Did you know? Pregnant women often work although they are unwell in order not to be seen as a burden. Women also often work even harder during pregnancy to break the stereotype that pregnant employees are less productive.
“In the beginning, sort of the first trimester for sure I was sick a lot… I’d just be getting ready for work and then being sick and feeling like you have to get there anyway.” (Ella, Small business employee) Look for another quote
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Reasonable adjustments
Simple adjustments can often make a big difference and help address issues such as health and safety concerns or sickness during pregnancy. These small changes can include temporary changes to working patterns (e.g., working times or working from home where possible) or tasks (e.g. avoiding high-risk environments; heavy or frequent lifting), and providing additional equipment.
“They were able to really readjust my role, so that I didn’t have to do those really exposure type things for COVID.” (Emily, Small business employee)
“We work in an office so there is a lot of sitting in front of computers… [During my second pregnancy] we had our standing desks which really helped me to be able to stand rather than sit all the time. (Sian, Small business employee)
Starting maternity leave early
In some cases, pregnant workers must start their maternity leave earlier than planned for health reasons. In such cases, managing their absence and working out their leave entitlements and pay can be quite challenging.
Steps to take
- Employee provides medical evidence: The employee should provide a doctor’s note, such as a MAT B1 form, stating the need for early leave due to a pregnancy-related illness or health and safety risk.
- Maternity leave starts automatically in the last 4 weeks: If the employee is off work for a pregnancy-related illness in the four weeks before the due date, their maternity leave starts automatically.
- Employee informs the employer: The employee should inform the employer as soon as possible that they have gone off sick due to their pregnancy, and that their maternity leave is starting.
- Employer must pay maternity pay: Once maternity leave begins, the employer must pay maternity pay instead of sick pay.
- Health and safety risks: If the reason for early leave is a health and safety risk, the employer should first try to remove the risk or offer alternative work (see Reasonable adjustments – add link), or suspend the employee on full pay.
- Employee’s decision: In some cases, the employee may have the option to start maternity leave earlier, but the final decision on the start date rests with the employee, unless they are absent in the final four weeks of pregnancy.
For more detailed information on starting maternity leave early, please visit the Acas website.
Here, you can also find information on what to do if the baby arrives early, requires neonatal care, or arrives late.
Supportive practices
Workplace culture and communication practices are important aspects to the effective management of sickness during pregnancy. Every pregnancy is different, and open and empathetic communication makes a big difference. Managers are better able to offer support when employees communicate their experiences and changing support needs. Employees may not always feel comfortable telling managers and colleagues about their conditions, and trusting relationships are important. In our research, there were some reports of unsupportive managers who lacked empathy and caused stress. Supportive managers foster trust and compassionate handling of pregnant employees benefits both the employee and the business: employees stay healthier, engaged, and committed.
“It’s important that as a company we know what it [the condition] is. Not with a view to criticising, being critical of them, but so that you can make reasonable adjustments.” (Mike, Small business employer)
“[My employer] is a big believer in looking after yourself and your wellbeing and then everything else will follow. So, when I’ve had a cold in the past, she’s been really keen for me to slow down and look after myself. So that’s not changed with pregnancy, in fact, it’s probably increased in that she really wants me to look after myself so that the baby is OK. I guess, when you go round full circle, that then means I can also keep doing my job as well as I can rather than being off longer or making mistakes or anything.” (Phoebe, Micro business employee)
SMEs often need to balance compassion with the realities of running a small business. Readjusting tasks and working patterns in small teams can be difficult (see Limited Resources).
“I found out my other lady is pregnant, and then she got sick as well. Both of them had a really bad time, and lady number four, she actually took her maternity leave at seven months […]. She had that thing where you’ve got that pelvic pain, and nerves trapping, everything. She just had the worst pregnancy. She was just like ‘I can’t wait for this baby to come’. So, yes, I have dealt with all of that and, basically, I had to just grit my teeth and get through it and get help where I could to keep the team going… to keep the workload shifting.” (Emily, Micro business employer)
Our research showed that employers generally try to respond with flexibility, although practices varied. Some can offer full pay during sick leave, and like any financial measures, these effectively demonstrate support. Other employers provide more flexible working time options. Sometimes these are on the basis that work should be made up during other times, yet. such “make the time up” arrangements can leave employees feeling under pressure. Informality can be positive—allowing flexible arrangements at short notice—but it can also create uncertainty for employees about entitlements and rights. Clear policies and agreements—even if informal—reduce confusion and stress.
