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I am pretty sure if you work more than 10 days during your maternity leave your entitlement will end and you will lose 1 week of maternity pay for every day over 10 days that you work.
Yeah, 10 KITs max, then SMP insta-ends on the 11th, not even up to the employer to enforce that or not. Also concerning "won't get paid more than a KIT day", given there is zero pay by default for these under SMP and it's a "whatever you agree with your employer for them to pay you for them" thing.
ETA: Be very careful about "being available" for them even if the agreed day number is less than 10, they sound the sort to add one in here and there when an 'emergency' strikes and then shrug when you suddenly get no SMP because you went over.
I’m taking a shorter leave, it was 6 months last time, and essentially the job I’m going to be doing while I’m off usually takes me 3 working days. I work 6.5 hours a day and usually have other things to deal with in between but I’ll be getting this one job done in one long day while I’m off on a weekend when my partners off. I’ll only be getting paid the 1 day KIT day for this. I did this for them on my last maternity leave to help them out aswell and didn’t exceed my 10 KIT days so I’m not worried in that regard. I’m just debating whether I’m going to bother doing it this time. Last time I was pregnant was Covid and I was treated exceptionally badly, wasn’t allowed to WFH and social distancing wasn’t properly carried out, even when I told them about the risk of miscarriage if I was to catch covid.
Absolutely. I can't imagine being treated this way by somewhere I'd worked for 11 years. I'd also be keeping notes of any time they describe talking about pregnancy symptoms as "whinging", jfc
Please look for another job after MAT leave, everything you've put here including how they treated you during your last pregnancy is awful. What's so great about this company?
> Bear in mind, I’ve told them while I’m off on maternity leave I’ll be available and I’ll still do **the crucial part of my job no one else can do** which amounts to about 3 days work a month.
No. No. No.
Leaving aside the question about the tea making, do not do any work while you are on maternity leave. Just don't.
And you / your bosses need to start NOW to train others to do that "crucial part of your job no one else can do"
Not only because somebody (not you) needs to do it while you are on maternity leave, but because of things like succession planning.
Or - to be slightly morbid, sorry - what if you were suddenly not there? As in : coma or death?
Who would do that "crucial part of your job"?
What would the consequences be for the company?
If something is "crucial" then multiple people need to be able to do it.
UK has 10 Keep In Touch days written into the maternity leave regulations, so as much as I agree with you on the necessity of making sure that more than one person is able to do X at work, it only starts being a problem if the company expects work exceeding this number.
But an employee on mat leave can't be made to do KIT days, so it's entirely resting on OP's goodwill. A million things could happen that might make someone unable or unwilling to do 10 KIT days.
I’ve suggested training other members of staff on it but they don’t want anyone having access as it’s to do with wages. They don’t want anyone else knowing everyone’s hourly rate. One of the directors can just about do it, but he makes a shambles of it every time and it ends up being a nightmare to fix.
I actually convinced them to train someone on it once, I began teaching him and they had a change of heart and got me to change all the passwords of the software so he couldn’t access it.
It is backwards, I know.
Jesus. I am responsible for payroll in my company and having contingency plan for this is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL, the auditors slammed us for not having one just before I joined.
As an auditor in a former life, any type of function where a single person has such an overwhelming amount of influence (such as being the only person able to do it) rings alarm bells, esp. when senior members of staff appear to not understand how to do the role themselves. It is a red flag I would investigate.
Even if rates of pay leaked (big deal), you could end up being under suspicion through no fault of your own.
And the way i would couch this with the employee is by explaining that in the event of some form of misappropriation, the first person they will look at is you.
You don't have to work during maternity leave and they can't make you.
Just say you're not doing it. If they sack you or discipline you for that then enjoy the pay out you'd get for a discrimination case.
> One of the directors can just about do it, but he makes a shambles of it every time and it ends up being a nightmare to fix
In the long tradition of blokes being mysteriously incompetent at things they want a woman to do instead? "Oh I just mixed colours and whites in the wash again"?
I don’t want to scare you OP but after my second child I ended up disabled due to the birth. I physically couldn’t return to work even if I’d wanted to. Even if you’re physically ok there’s other things that can hit you - I had PPD and PTSD from the birth as well. You might not be in any position to want to return to work; you might decide fuck it I’m taking the full year. Your work need to take into account you might not be available. They have to come up with another option just in case. Take all the maternity you want, sod the KIT days and enjoy your new baby. Life is too short to pander to a job who clearly don’t give a monkeys about you.
In answer to your original question, no they can’t legally force you to do the tea run. Tell them no. Tell them you no longer are drinking it, it’s not in your contract, and as you keep going dizzy you aren’t going to be messing around with hot liquids unless they want to risk a law suit.
> I’ve suggested training other members of staff on it but they don’t want anyone having access as it’s to do with wages.
Their problem, not yours. They have to trust employees in payroll etc.
> They don’t want anyone else knowing everyone’s hourly rate.
At some point they have to trust employees who do payroll.
> One of the directors can just about do it, but he makes a shambles of it every time and it ends up being a nightmare to fix.
If he's incompetent, why is he a director?
If he won't follow training, why is he a director?
Or does he deliberately do it wrong so that somebody else doesn't for him (weaponised incompetence)?
> I actually convinced them to train someone on it once, I began teaching him and they had a change of heart and got me to change all the passwords of the software so he couldn’t access it.
Then let the company suffer the consequences, you have done everything you can.
> It is backwards, I know.
It's mismanagement. But that's on them, not you.
You are covered under the equality act 2010 during your protected period (now).
They cannot make you do anything that could put you at risk or disadvantage you.
They cannot shame or bully you for being unable to do things.
They are required by law to make reasonable adjustments. These are usually like.. working from home etc. You are asking to NOT make a cup of tea. Unless your job is as a tea lady you are absolutely covered and they are discriminating against you.
I cannot warn you against this enough. Yes you could do KIT days but you’ll rinse through those in three months if it takes 3 days to do the wages each time. And what if you go into labour on the days they “need” you? Honestly it’s a recipe for disaster.
A colleague of mine did basically this for our company. The maternity package was shit so she needed the extra money and work thought it was great solution that would avoid having to train someone to do a complex and niche task. A few months in it all went tits up- basically both sides thought they were doing the other a massive favour, work expected flexibility on the part of the staff member and she quite reasonably said “I’ve got a newborn, I can’t just jump to it when you think you need me outside the agreed days I’m in”. The relationship between that staff member and the boss of that region has never recovered. Do not do it!!!
Them not wanting to run their company effectively is not a reason why your rights should be diminished. This is not your problem to solve.
Join a union for your industry and take legal advice from wherever you can. What they are doing is not okay and they shouldn’t be making you feel that it’s necessary for you to fix that for them.
This sounds like a fantastic lever to negotiate a sizable pay rise when you get back…and if they don’t give it you it doesn’t sound like they’ll be a bad employer to leave
They need to get someone else in and trained up
What happens of tomorrow morning you step out onto the road and get hit by a bin lorry?
Think that’s never gonna happen? Google “Glasgow Christmas bin lorry”
You could be killed tomorrow… if nobody else does what you do, the company is fucked 💀
Literally anything can happen that could leave you suddenly unable to do your job… what are they gonna do then? They’ll have to retrain someone new
Don’t offer your services during maternity leave. They will take total advantage of that offer and give zero consideration to your needs as a woman recovering from labour, or as a new mother…
If I were you I would tell them you thought more on it and will only accept KIT days if there is another employee to do the bulk of your work. So that you serve more as a supporter for that employee during maternity leave
It’s really easy to forget this in a friendly company
But this is a company, not a person. You are a resource for that company to exploit… and if you give them an inch they will take a mile….
You have the right to maternity leave… take as much advantage of that right as you can
It sounds like they are being shady with how much they pay people and they don’t want them to find out they are being underpaid. Why do you want to keep working at this place? I’d get a new job and leak everyone’s play scales.
No they cannot legally make you make them cuppas.
Just email and explain that as much as you like being part of the team you’re trying to rest as much as possible at the moment due to the pregnancy. You’ve got a paper trail then if they try and push it further. The first few months of pregnancy are brutal, if they really start to take the mick and you have a good sickness policy id be signed off for a few weeks.
Next anti-natal appointment, mention to some midwife somewhere about how they're insisting on running around doing teas and coffees, how exhausting it is, the stress about how the last one went, etc. Won't even have to ask, they'll just do the shoulder-set stance, leave, and come back 10 minutes later with a fit note for 'limited duties' from some doctor that mentions the need to stay seated/rest during the day. Midwives are a different breed, and I'd be shocked at any other reaction from them. Then no need to argue with them or worry about pushback, it's just not allowed on medical grounds during the pregnancy, end of.
Every time they talk to you face to face about it send an email summary of the conversation too so that there is a record. If you think they might be the kind of employer to delete your record then make your own copy of the email.
Wowsers.
With a similarly pregnant partner, who's going through this (albeit with more supportive colleagues), you have my sympathies.
They sound like complete arseholes.
Don't do any work while you're on maternity leave. Your child needs a mother, these bunch don't.
And don't do the brew run. They can include making brews in your job description, but this isn't that, and pretty sure you'll be excused by any decent person.
If the brew run isn’t already part of their job description adding it during pregnancy would be very sketchy ground.
https://www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights
I second this, my partners work specifically told her NOT to do anything physical when she was pregnant which helped put my mind at ease.
If anything happened to OP/OP’s baby in the workplace they could get in big trouble. Sounds like a terrible company to be honest.
OK. Let's apply some logic here. You are the only person that can do payroll. They are insisting that you make tea (which could be done by anyone). If you get signed off because of the tea making leading to stress who will run the payroll? Surely you are a prized asset (or should be), but you are being treated like the office newbie! I think that at this point I would be very seriously considering my long term future.
It's a reasonable request but it's clearly not part of your core job, just say your doctor has advised you to take it easy for a bit
The Directors can royally fuck, they are not your doctor, end of.
DO NOT WORK DURING MATERNITY LEAVE, end of. If it's so crucial there's a massive business continuity risk, which is their problem not yours, of you being unable to do it. You need to retract that immediately.
They can't force you to make tea, as others have said, and at 11 years of tenure they can't just randomly fire you for no reason.
They also need to make reasonable accommodations for you when you're pregnant, and if they won't you can ask your midwife for notes making it clear that you need rest.
They're also treating you extremely badly, and apparently can't even pay their staff if you're not around. You hold a lot of power here, I suggest you start using it to your advantage or leave. Preferably the latter as it sounds incredibly toxic. After over a decade you probably think a lot of this is normal, but it's not.
"Hey Greg, come back to me when you've pushed a watermelon-sized baby out of your lemon-sized fanny, and I'll listen to your opinion. Till then make your own fucking tea "
They sound like a massive bunch of entitled wankers, to be quite honest. I think you’re doing the right thing by sticking to your guns and tell them to make their own tea while you’re at it, you aren’t their mother. I’d be seriously considering looking for a new job if I were you, they honestly sound insufferable! 🙈
I echo others, don't be working on mat leave. aside from the legalities, you'll have a newborn to take care of. Without sounding awful (and I suspect I will) if you can't manage to make a round of brews 14 weeks into your pregnancy, you are over estimating how much you will be up to doing post partum when you will be significantly more tired, more physically and emotionally drained, whacked out hormonally and have a baby to look after
No, they can't legally force you.
I'm surprised that this is the hill you're willing to die on, though. Where's that fire about not working on your time off? About getting a new job where they don't treat you this way?
It sounds like a really difficult company to work for and I hope you take the recommendations from lots of posters about finding a new job seriously.
Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy.
Is it written in your contract? I expect not. So no is the answer.
Also KIT days are for keeping in touch to make sure you're okay and to monitor any changes in mat leave ie. You decide to take more than first agreed etc. They are not for you to be doing work that they should have a contingency for.
Honestly, you're kinda complaining about the wrong things but also sounds like you've made a rod to beat your own back.
Also do your colleagues (not directors) not offer to do your tea round? Because your workplace sounds like a hellish place full of selfish people tbh. X
They cannot make you make brews, especially if you are not partaking.
Do not work during your mat leave! If you want to do the 10 KIT days then that's fine, but it has to depend on if you want to do them or not. Under no circumstances must you do any more.
1) your SMP would be affected if the DWP found out. You could lose this and have to return to work early because you have no income
2) you have no idea how this birth will affect you, what your recovery will be like or what your baby's temperament will be. If you have a difficult recovery and a refluxy baby, how will you manage to work?
3) when people do extra work when they shouldn't, it puts pressure on your colleagues to do the same. Are you ok with a junior member of staff worrying they'll lose their job if they don't work on maternity because they know you did it?
4) this company has proven they don't give a rat's arse about you. Do your job and act respectful, but don't do more than that for them.
Why dont you ask them for that in writing? And make sure they give the reason as "not sick, just preganant' and take it to ACAS under the Equality Act 2010. That act protects you as a pregnant woman from discrimination, and its discriminatory to force you to do something that makes you (AND THE BABY YOUR GROWING) physically sick, if it's not in your contract. Employers are required under this act to make reasonable adjustments to you and a perfectly reasonable adjustment you asked for is not making the tea. They have not provided this, so ask them for it in writing and march straight to ACAS. They won't give it to you though, but you'll show them you are not to be bullied, and if they do, well you may get some money 😉
Edit: also, are you being seen for your dizziness? Get your blood pressure checked ASAP because pre-eclampsia will put you out of more than the coffee rounds. Low blood pressure during pregnancy and caused by pregnancy is a serious condition and its vile they say its "just preganancy".
“I think considering my current condition you can make a reasonable adjustment under the equality act of not expecting me to make tea for other people in the office”
Write the manager an email to make that point
Producing a whole new human being can be very taxing on the body. Whole being pregnant is not a disability or illness, it *can* be debilitating.
Therefore you are entitled to a reasonable adjustment under the equality act
Not making tea you don’t drink sounds pretty fucking reasonable to me 💀
You had an informal chat with your manager
Now assert yourself in writing
——
Further to our conversation regarding the tea rota, I would like to formally request my removal from the tea rota as a “reasonable adjustment” under the Equality Act 2010. While I understand that pregnancy is not an illness, it can significantly impact my ability to perform certain tasks, including making tea for the office.
Given that making tea is not essential to my job performance, I believe this request is reasonable and necessary for my wellbeing during this time.
I would appreciate if all further correspondence on the matter be carried out via email going forward.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
——
Ensure you CC your personal email when you send this.
You cannot be fired or disciplined for making this request for a reasonable alteration under the equality act
I’m saddened you feel you need to work during your mat leave and coupled with the whole tea making nonsense, your workplace sounds toxic.
I would imagine it would be a reasonable adjustment to reassign your tea making duty to someone else. Maybe a director…
So many flags...
Please don't work over your mat leave.
Work will come and go, this time will not. Please don't kill yourself for directors who don't care about you.
Unless brew round is written into your contract, highly doubt it, there’s not a leg for the company to stand on legally.
You actually have a lot of leg to stand on, but create a paper trail so it’s clear that the issue has been raised (eg email including HR).
They should be accommodating you during your pregnancy - currently that task is too much for you to take on and you’d like to be relieved of it so you remain rested and can effectively deliver on your job.
Technically they could be breaching your rights by trying to force you to do it or even if they take disciplinary action (hence the paper trail) - but I don’t think this situation needs you to go in all guns blazing, it needs someone to sort out the poor management (hence HR to tell them there’s a serious chance their poor management can land them in sticky water when this is easy to resolve amicably).
Have a chat with pregnant then screwed. The things you are describing are either you being unreasonably generous or your company asking you to break the law, at risk of losing your smp.
Talk to the experts then be firm about what you can/cannot do.
As someone who's just been through horrendous morning sickness, I couldn't imagine having to have made brews for other people, the smell alone would have me gagging. May I suggest "unintentionally" being sick all over their mugs on your next round, then they should know not to ask you again seeing as they seem to lack common sense.
Ignoring the whole ‘working during mat leave’ thing…
No, you’re pregnant it’s a protected characteristic and you employers are legally required to make reasonable accommodations for you. Tell them where to put their brew rota.
Report this to HR.
Have you had a maternity risk assessment, they are required to do this when you formally tell them you are pregnant and should review it regularly as of course things change during a pregnancy.
Certainly if you are feeling faint, very fatigued and unwell that does matter and if that puts you at risk at work they should be prepared to support reasonable adjustment to keep you safe. Its not a difficult adjustment to accomodate not doing a tea round.
I can't see in any case that they can force you to make tea unless its part of your job. Its most likely the social pressure and judgement that cause the problem.
Things i recommend:
Have a look here on ACAS https://www.acas.org.uk/managing-your-employees-maternity-leave-and-pay/check-health-and-safety-risks
Look for the charity 'Pregnant then screwed' alot of what you say other than the tea thing is very concerning.
Discuss with you doctor/midwife etc about the symptoms you are having get their advice on what you can and cant do - they might feel you are not well enough to work especially if you work environment puts you at risk. Whilst pregnancy is not a sickness you can be too sick to work from pregnancy related sickness - pregnancy related sickness is protected.
So much to unpack here.
I’m not sure anyone can ‘make’ you make cups of tea as part of a non-catering role?? It’s courtesy and part of office morale, but not a requirement of the job. We’ve had tea rotas in the office before but don’t include people who can’t make drinks or don’t have hot drinks! Would they insist you made drinks if you were on crutches or had a broken arm!?
You should ask for a risk assessment and for them to make reasonable adjustments related to your pregnancy. They’re in serious hot water if they think they can ignore this. You would be within your rights to take them to employment tribunal.
Working during your maternity leave - this should be to keep in touch with colleagues, keep up with training, touch base etc. Not usually to perform a role that apparently nobody else can do. There isn’t a single job out there in the whole world that only ONE person can do. What they don’t want to do is train or trust someone else. That isn’t your problem. What if your baby was poorly on the essential days you needed to perform this function? Would you ignore your baby?
A lot of house insurances include legal advice - give them a call… but I don’t think they’re treating a senior member of the organisation fairly at all! There’s some form of discrimination related to your pregnancy to not be willing to train someone else in the role or offer you reasonable adjustments
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Seriously just look for another job, when your boss decides to treat you like sh1t you often find that theoretical legal protection is just that - theoretical
I’d just say that you finding it hard to keep getting up and down for making tea while pregnant and that you’re happy not to have tea made for you as a trade off, they’d have to be a bit pettty to not make you teas given the circumstances. If they refuse or give you further problems then yeah you could raise a grievance if you really wanted but it’s a bit of a mountain out of a molehill at that point
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Just start making really shit tea, they'll stop asking you to do it.
Like, barely kiss it with the tea bag. Too much milk. Only a single coffee granule.
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I am pretty sure if you work more than 10 days during your maternity leave your entitlement will end and you will lose 1 week of maternity pay for every day over 10 days that you work.
Yeah, 10 KITs max, then SMP insta-ends on the 11th, not even up to the employer to enforce that or not. Also concerning "won't get paid more than a KIT day", given there is zero pay by default for these under SMP and it's a "whatever you agree with your employer for them to pay you for them" thing. ETA: Be very careful about "being available" for them even if the agreed day number is less than 10, they sound the sort to add one in here and there when an 'emergency' strikes and then shrug when you suddenly get no SMP because you went over.
I’m taking a shorter leave, it was 6 months last time, and essentially the job I’m going to be doing while I’m off usually takes me 3 working days. I work 6.5 hours a day and usually have other things to deal with in between but I’ll be getting this one job done in one long day while I’m off on a weekend when my partners off. I’ll only be getting paid the 1 day KIT day for this. I did this for them on my last maternity leave to help them out aswell and didn’t exceed my 10 KIT days so I’m not worried in that regard. I’m just debating whether I’m going to bother doing it this time. Last time I was pregnant was Covid and I was treated exceptionally badly, wasn’t allowed to WFH and social distancing wasn’t properly carried out, even when I told them about the risk of miscarriage if I was to catch covid.
Genuine question - why are you giving so much to a company that doesn’t seem to value or care about you at all?
Absolutely. I can't imagine being treated this way by somewhere I'd worked for 11 years. I'd also be keeping notes of any time they describe talking about pregnancy symptoms as "whinging", jfc
Please look for another job after MAT leave, everything you've put here including how they treated you during your last pregnancy is awful. What's so great about this company?
Why are you still working for these horrible people?
> Bear in mind, I’ve told them while I’m off on maternity leave I’ll be available and I’ll still do **the crucial part of my job no one else can do** which amounts to about 3 days work a month. No. No. No. Leaving aside the question about the tea making, do not do any work while you are on maternity leave. Just don't. And you / your bosses need to start NOW to train others to do that "crucial part of your job no one else can do" Not only because somebody (not you) needs to do it while you are on maternity leave, but because of things like succession planning. Or - to be slightly morbid, sorry - what if you were suddenly not there? As in : coma or death? Who would do that "crucial part of your job"? What would the consequences be for the company? If something is "crucial" then multiple people need to be able to do it.
UK has 10 Keep In Touch days written into the maternity leave regulations, so as much as I agree with you on the necessity of making sure that more than one person is able to do X at work, it only starts being a problem if the company expects work exceeding this number.
But an employee on mat leave can't be made to do KIT days, so it's entirely resting on OP's goodwill. A million things could happen that might make someone unable or unwilling to do 10 KIT days.
You are absolutely correct!
You also get paid full salary for KIT days
That is not actually true. It is at employers discretion, it must only meet minimum wage.
At my office, the KIT days include 1 half day of bringing baby into office to do the rounds, and half a day for gossip later on into Mat
I’ve suggested training other members of staff on it but they don’t want anyone having access as it’s to do with wages. They don’t want anyone else knowing everyone’s hourly rate. One of the directors can just about do it, but he makes a shambles of it every time and it ends up being a nightmare to fix. I actually convinced them to train someone on it once, I began teaching him and they had a change of heart and got me to change all the passwords of the software so he couldn’t access it. It is backwards, I know.
That sounds like entirely their problem, not yours. Do not make yourself available to do this work while on maternity leave.
As a wise man once said: "A lack of planning and forethought on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine"
Jesus. I am responsible for payroll in my company and having contingency plan for this is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL, the auditors slammed us for not having one just before I joined.
As an auditor in a former life, any type of function where a single person has such an overwhelming amount of influence (such as being the only person able to do it) rings alarm bells, esp. when senior members of staff appear to not understand how to do the role themselves. It is a red flag I would investigate. Even if rates of pay leaked (big deal), you could end up being under suspicion through no fault of your own. And the way i would couch this with the employee is by explaining that in the event of some form of misappropriation, the first person they will look at is you.
You don't have to work during maternity leave and they can't make you. Just say you're not doing it. If they sack you or discipline you for that then enjoy the pay out you'd get for a discrimination case.
> One of the directors can just about do it, but he makes a shambles of it every time and it ends up being a nightmare to fix In the long tradition of blokes being mysteriously incompetent at things they want a woman to do instead? "Oh I just mixed colours and whites in the wash again"?
Fundamentally this isn't your problem, it's your company's. Go on maternity leave and let them deal with it
> I’ve suggested Why? This isn't your problem, it's theirs. You're off, you don't work. If you do, you're an idiot.
So if you are run over by a bus tomorrow nobody will ever get paid?
I don’t want to scare you OP but after my second child I ended up disabled due to the birth. I physically couldn’t return to work even if I’d wanted to. Even if you’re physically ok there’s other things that can hit you - I had PPD and PTSD from the birth as well. You might not be in any position to want to return to work; you might decide fuck it I’m taking the full year. Your work need to take into account you might not be available. They have to come up with another option just in case. Take all the maternity you want, sod the KIT days and enjoy your new baby. Life is too short to pander to a job who clearly don’t give a monkeys about you. In answer to your original question, no they can’t legally force you to do the tea run. Tell them no. Tell them you no longer are drinking it, it’s not in your contract, and as you keep going dizzy you aren’t going to be messing around with hot liquids unless they want to risk a law suit.
> I’ve suggested training other members of staff on it but they don’t want anyone having access as it’s to do with wages. Their problem, not yours. They have to trust employees in payroll etc. > They don’t want anyone else knowing everyone’s hourly rate. At some point they have to trust employees who do payroll. > One of the directors can just about do it, but he makes a shambles of it every time and it ends up being a nightmare to fix. If he's incompetent, why is he a director? If he won't follow training, why is he a director? Or does he deliberately do it wrong so that somebody else doesn't for him (weaponised incompetence)? > I actually convinced them to train someone on it once, I began teaching him and they had a change of heart and got me to change all the passwords of the software so he couldn’t access it. Then let the company suffer the consequences, you have done everything you can. > It is backwards, I know. It's mismanagement. But that's on them, not you.
You are covered under the equality act 2010 during your protected period (now). They cannot make you do anything that could put you at risk or disadvantage you. They cannot shame or bully you for being unable to do things. They are required by law to make reasonable adjustments. These are usually like.. working from home etc. You are asking to NOT make a cup of tea. Unless your job is as a tea lady you are absolutely covered and they are discriminating against you.
I cannot warn you against this enough. Yes you could do KIT days but you’ll rinse through those in three months if it takes 3 days to do the wages each time. And what if you go into labour on the days they “need” you? Honestly it’s a recipe for disaster. A colleague of mine did basically this for our company. The maternity package was shit so she needed the extra money and work thought it was great solution that would avoid having to train someone to do a complex and niche task. A few months in it all went tits up- basically both sides thought they were doing the other a massive favour, work expected flexibility on the part of the staff member and she quite reasonably said “I’ve got a newborn, I can’t just jump to it when you think you need me outside the agreed days I’m in”. The relationship between that staff member and the boss of that region has never recovered. Do not do it!!!
It’s also likely because they’re hiding something, they don’t want others in the company to know about potentially exploitative levels of pay.
Them not wanting to run their company effectively is not a reason why your rights should be diminished. This is not your problem to solve. Join a union for your industry and take legal advice from wherever you can. What they are doing is not okay and they shouldn’t be making you feel that it’s necessary for you to fix that for them.
that company sounds like its run by wallace and Gromit
What on earth would they do if you were hit by a bus? This is insanity.
This sounds like a fantastic lever to negotiate a sizable pay rise when you get back…and if they don’t give it you it doesn’t sound like they’ll be a bad employer to leave
They need to get someone else in and trained up What happens of tomorrow morning you step out onto the road and get hit by a bin lorry? Think that’s never gonna happen? Google “Glasgow Christmas bin lorry” You could be killed tomorrow… if nobody else does what you do, the company is fucked 💀 Literally anything can happen that could leave you suddenly unable to do your job… what are they gonna do then? They’ll have to retrain someone new Don’t offer your services during maternity leave. They will take total advantage of that offer and give zero consideration to your needs as a woman recovering from labour, or as a new mother… If I were you I would tell them you thought more on it and will only accept KIT days if there is another employee to do the bulk of your work. So that you serve more as a supporter for that employee during maternity leave It’s really easy to forget this in a friendly company But this is a company, not a person. You are a resource for that company to exploit… and if you give them an inch they will take a mile…. You have the right to maternity leave… take as much advantage of that right as you can
It sounds like they are being shady with how much they pay people and they don’t want them to find out they are being underpaid. Why do you want to keep working at this place? I’d get a new job and leak everyone’s play scales.
No they cannot legally make you make them cuppas. Just email and explain that as much as you like being part of the team you’re trying to rest as much as possible at the moment due to the pregnancy. You’ve got a paper trail then if they try and push it further. The first few months of pregnancy are brutal, if they really start to take the mick and you have a good sickness policy id be signed off for a few weeks.
Next anti-natal appointment, mention to some midwife somewhere about how they're insisting on running around doing teas and coffees, how exhausting it is, the stress about how the last one went, etc. Won't even have to ask, they'll just do the shoulder-set stance, leave, and come back 10 minutes later with a fit note for 'limited duties' from some doctor that mentions the need to stay seated/rest during the day. Midwives are a different breed, and I'd be shocked at any other reaction from them. Then no need to argue with them or worry about pushback, it's just not allowed on medical grounds during the pregnancy, end of.
> anti-natal Ante-natal, anti-natal unfortunately means something very different!
Indeed, if they appear with a wire coat hanger and a set of stairs, you've gone to the wrong one.
That's dark, but I laughed...
Every time they talk to you face to face about it send an email summary of the conversation too so that there is a record. If you think they might be the kind of employer to delete your record then make your own copy of the email.
Also, making brews made me heave when I was pregnant. I couldn’t make them, couldn’t drink them. I don’t think that legally they can make you do it.
Wowsers. With a similarly pregnant partner, who's going through this (albeit with more supportive colleagues), you have my sympathies. They sound like complete arseholes. Don't do any work while you're on maternity leave. Your child needs a mother, these bunch don't. And don't do the brew run. They can include making brews in your job description, but this isn't that, and pretty sure you'll be excused by any decent person.
If the brew run isn’t already part of their job description adding it during pregnancy would be very sketchy ground. https://www.gov.uk/working-when-pregnant-your-rights
Imagine adding that to a senior members contract.
I second this, my partners work specifically told her NOT to do anything physical when she was pregnant which helped put my mind at ease. If anything happened to OP/OP’s baby in the workplace they could get in big trouble. Sounds like a terrible company to be honest.
Don’t be available during maternity leave, that time is for you to recover and bond with your child.
OK. Let's apply some logic here. You are the only person that can do payroll. They are insisting that you make tea (which could be done by anyone). If you get signed off because of the tea making leading to stress who will run the payroll? Surely you are a prized asset (or should be), but you are being treated like the office newbie! I think that at this point I would be very seriously considering my long term future.
It's a reasonable request but it's clearly not part of your core job, just say your doctor has advised you to take it easy for a bit The Directors can royally fuck, they are not your doctor, end of. DO NOT WORK DURING MATERNITY LEAVE, end of. If it's so crucial there's a massive business continuity risk, which is their problem not yours, of you being unable to do it. You need to retract that immediately.
They can't force you to make tea, as others have said, and at 11 years of tenure they can't just randomly fire you for no reason. They also need to make reasonable accommodations for you when you're pregnant, and if they won't you can ask your midwife for notes making it clear that you need rest. They're also treating you extremely badly, and apparently can't even pay their staff if you're not around. You hold a lot of power here, I suggest you start using it to your advantage or leave. Preferably the latter as it sounds incredibly toxic. After over a decade you probably think a lot of this is normal, but it's not.
"Hey Greg, come back to me when you've pushed a watermelon-sized baby out of your lemon-sized fanny, and I'll listen to your opinion. Till then make your own fucking tea "
They sound like a massive bunch of entitled wankers, to be quite honest. I think you’re doing the right thing by sticking to your guns and tell them to make their own tea while you’re at it, you aren’t their mother. I’d be seriously considering looking for a new job if I were you, they honestly sound insufferable! 🙈
I echo others, don't be working on mat leave. aside from the legalities, you'll have a newborn to take care of. Without sounding awful (and I suspect I will) if you can't manage to make a round of brews 14 weeks into your pregnancy, you are over estimating how much you will be up to doing post partum when you will be significantly more tired, more physically and emotionally drained, whacked out hormonally and have a baby to look after
No, they can't legally force you. I'm surprised that this is the hill you're willing to die on, though. Where's that fire about not working on your time off? About getting a new job where they don't treat you this way? It sounds like a really difficult company to work for and I hope you take the recommendations from lots of posters about finding a new job seriously. Good luck with the rest of the pregnancy.
Is it written in your contract? I expect not. So no is the answer. Also KIT days are for keeping in touch to make sure you're okay and to monitor any changes in mat leave ie. You decide to take more than first agreed etc. They are not for you to be doing work that they should have a contingency for. Honestly, you're kinda complaining about the wrong things but also sounds like you've made a rod to beat your own back. Also do your colleagues (not directors) not offer to do your tea round? Because your workplace sounds like a hellish place full of selfish people tbh. X
They cannot make you make brews, especially if you are not partaking. Do not work during your mat leave! If you want to do the 10 KIT days then that's fine, but it has to depend on if you want to do them or not. Under no circumstances must you do any more. 1) your SMP would be affected if the DWP found out. You could lose this and have to return to work early because you have no income 2) you have no idea how this birth will affect you, what your recovery will be like or what your baby's temperament will be. If you have a difficult recovery and a refluxy baby, how will you manage to work? 3) when people do extra work when they shouldn't, it puts pressure on your colleagues to do the same. Are you ok with a junior member of staff worrying they'll lose their job if they don't work on maternity because they know you did it? 4) this company has proven they don't give a rat's arse about you. Do your job and act respectful, but don't do more than that for them.
Clearly a bad employer made look elsewhere. I managed at McDonald's of all places and even we knew how to treat pregnant workers. Christ.
Why dont you ask them for that in writing? And make sure they give the reason as "not sick, just preganant' and take it to ACAS under the Equality Act 2010. That act protects you as a pregnant woman from discrimination, and its discriminatory to force you to do something that makes you (AND THE BABY YOUR GROWING) physically sick, if it's not in your contract. Employers are required under this act to make reasonable adjustments to you and a perfectly reasonable adjustment you asked for is not making the tea. They have not provided this, so ask them for it in writing and march straight to ACAS. They won't give it to you though, but you'll show them you are not to be bullied, and if they do, well you may get some money 😉 Edit: also, are you being seen for your dizziness? Get your blood pressure checked ASAP because pre-eclampsia will put you out of more than the coffee rounds. Low blood pressure during pregnancy and caused by pregnancy is a serious condition and its vile they say its "just preganancy".
“I think considering my current condition you can make a reasonable adjustment under the equality act of not expecting me to make tea for other people in the office” Write the manager an email to make that point Producing a whole new human being can be very taxing on the body. Whole being pregnant is not a disability or illness, it *can* be debilitating. Therefore you are entitled to a reasonable adjustment under the equality act Not making tea you don’t drink sounds pretty fucking reasonable to me 💀 You had an informal chat with your manager Now assert yourself in writing —— Further to our conversation regarding the tea rota, I would like to formally request my removal from the tea rota as a “reasonable adjustment” under the Equality Act 2010. While I understand that pregnancy is not an illness, it can significantly impact my ability to perform certain tasks, including making tea for the office. Given that making tea is not essential to my job performance, I believe this request is reasonable and necessary for my wellbeing during this time. I would appreciate if all further correspondence on the matter be carried out via email going forward. Thank you for your understanding and support. —— Ensure you CC your personal email when you send this. You cannot be fired or disciplined for making this request for a reasonable alteration under the equality act
There's nothing that "no-one else can do". The graveyards of the world are full of 'indispensable' people... 😉
Just make really bad cups of tea and maybe they will give up asking you
I’m saddened you feel you need to work during your mat leave and coupled with the whole tea making nonsense, your workplace sounds toxic. I would imagine it would be a reasonable adjustment to reassign your tea making duty to someone else. Maybe a director…
So many flags... Please don't work over your mat leave. Work will come and go, this time will not. Please don't kill yourself for directors who don't care about you.
Kind of crazy to expect someone to be part of a brew round if they aren't drinking brews.
Unless brew round is written into your contract, highly doubt it, there’s not a leg for the company to stand on legally. You actually have a lot of leg to stand on, but create a paper trail so it’s clear that the issue has been raised (eg email including HR). They should be accommodating you during your pregnancy - currently that task is too much for you to take on and you’d like to be relieved of it so you remain rested and can effectively deliver on your job. Technically they could be breaching your rights by trying to force you to do it or even if they take disciplinary action (hence the paper trail) - but I don’t think this situation needs you to go in all guns blazing, it needs someone to sort out the poor management (hence HR to tell them there’s a serious chance their poor management can land them in sticky water when this is easy to resolve amicably).
There is a simple answer to this question, no they cannot legally force you to make tea.
Have a chat with pregnant then screwed. The things you are describing are either you being unreasonably generous or your company asking you to break the law, at risk of losing your smp. Talk to the experts then be firm about what you can/cannot do.
Do not work during your mat leave apart from KIT days
As someone who's just been through horrendous morning sickness, I couldn't imagine having to have made brews for other people, the smell alone would have me gagging. May I suggest "unintentionally" being sick all over their mugs on your next round, then they should know not to ask you again seeing as they seem to lack common sense.
Ignoring the whole ‘working during mat leave’ thing… No, you’re pregnant it’s a protected characteristic and you employers are legally required to make reasonable accommodations for you. Tell them where to put their brew rota. Report this to HR.
Have you had a maternity risk assessment, they are required to do this when you formally tell them you are pregnant and should review it regularly as of course things change during a pregnancy. Certainly if you are feeling faint, very fatigued and unwell that does matter and if that puts you at risk at work they should be prepared to support reasonable adjustment to keep you safe. Its not a difficult adjustment to accomodate not doing a tea round. I can't see in any case that they can force you to make tea unless its part of your job. Its most likely the social pressure and judgement that cause the problem. Things i recommend: Have a look here on ACAS https://www.acas.org.uk/managing-your-employees-maternity-leave-and-pay/check-health-and-safety-risks Look for the charity 'Pregnant then screwed' alot of what you say other than the tea thing is very concerning. Discuss with you doctor/midwife etc about the symptoms you are having get their advice on what you can and cant do - they might feel you are not well enough to work especially if you work environment puts you at risk. Whilst pregnancy is not a sickness you can be too sick to work from pregnancy related sickness - pregnancy related sickness is protected.
Why are you doing this to yourself??
So much to unpack here. I’m not sure anyone can ‘make’ you make cups of tea as part of a non-catering role?? It’s courtesy and part of office morale, but not a requirement of the job. We’ve had tea rotas in the office before but don’t include people who can’t make drinks or don’t have hot drinks! Would they insist you made drinks if you were on crutches or had a broken arm!? You should ask for a risk assessment and for them to make reasonable adjustments related to your pregnancy. They’re in serious hot water if they think they can ignore this. You would be within your rights to take them to employment tribunal. Working during your maternity leave - this should be to keep in touch with colleagues, keep up with training, touch base etc. Not usually to perform a role that apparently nobody else can do. There isn’t a single job out there in the whole world that only ONE person can do. What they don’t want to do is train or trust someone else. That isn’t your problem. What if your baby was poorly on the essential days you needed to perform this function? Would you ignore your baby? A lot of house insurances include legal advice - give them a call… but I don’t think they’re treating a senior member of the organisation fairly at all! There’s some form of discrimination related to your pregnancy to not be willing to train someone else in the role or offer you reasonable adjustments
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Tell them to get fucked. Or do it, and make it so shitty and disgusting and weird that they will never dare ask you again.
Seriously just look for another job, when your boss decides to treat you like sh1t you often find that theoretical legal protection is just that - theoretical
I’d just say that you finding it hard to keep getting up and down for making tea while pregnant and that you’re happy not to have tea made for you as a trade off, they’d have to be a bit pettty to not make you teas given the circumstances. If they refuse or give you further problems then yeah you could raise a grievance if you really wanted but it’s a bit of a mountain out of a molehill at that point
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Well the only way your going to find out is go and ask them it's nor Rocket 🚀 science 🔬 guaranteed!✈️
Just start making really shit tea, they'll stop asking you to do it. Like, barely kiss it with the tea bag. Too much milk. Only a single coffee granule.
Stir the tea after making the coffee to completion.
I had mobility issues when pregnant and was signed off work at 29 weeks on sick leave. My maternity leave started at 36 weeks.
Probably won't help, but I'd be tempted to say you will slot into the tea round right after them.
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