Pregnant - can my employer move my place of work?

hel

Hi,

A slightly unusual query for you, I'm not sure if there is a straightforward answer ...

I've just found out that I'm pregnant :j and I work in a prison (I'm not a prison officer, I work in an office). The office is in a prisoner access area but not actually on the wings (where the prisoners live).

I am happy to continue working in my current office as I feel there isn't a real risk and I know, when I tell my employer that I'm pregnant, that they won't make me go onto the wings as it would be unsafe.

My question is, can my employer force me to move offices so I am in a non-prisoner area altogether? I don't want this and I guess it would be classed as a change of contract so they can't force it on me?

(Just to add, a couple of colleagues in similar positions have been allowed to remain working in offices like mine but I just want to check my rights before I tell them my good news!:T)

Thank you in advance

Andy_L

Your existing contract almost certainly allows them to move you to a different office if it's on the same site & quite possibly even if it isn't.

hel

Thanks Andy,

Do you think that's the case even if that would completely change my job role (I couldn't do my job anywhere else)? And would they be able to reduce my wages if that was the case?

mandyc

My daughter is a pyschiatric nurse. When she became pregnant she was moved off a ward because of the potential of endangering the pregnancy. These days employers are ultra cautious because of the possibility of litigation. Sad but true.

L-Jay

I work in a prison and several staff have been made to move offices when they were pregnant, 2 in the same situation as you - they effectively had to change jobs.

My understanding is that you should have a risk assessment quite early on and this will determine what happens, a lot of the decisions are based on your responses. Have you contacted the POA?

hel

L-Jay wrote: »

I work in a prison and several staff have been made to move offices when they were pregnant, 2 in the same situation as you - they effectively had to change jobs.

My understanding is that you should have a risk assessment quite early on and this will determine what happens, a lot of the decisions are based on your responses. Have you contacted the POA?

I'm going to speak to the POA on Monday I think. I really hope they'll let me stay where I am because they've let other people...hopefully my answers will help my decision like you said.

Unfortunately, one of my worries is that my boss doesn't keep anything private (as crazy as that sounds) - as soon as I tell him I know everyone in the prison will find out and I really don't want that yet. I know I can go down the grievance route if that happened but it'd be too late by then! Aren't 'bosses' great!!

987654

hel wrote: »

Thanks Andy,

Do you think that's the case even if that would completely change my job role (I couldn't do my job anywhere else)? And would they be able to reduce my wages if that was the case?

As in an earlier post, a risk assessment would need to be done. However they wouldn't be able to reduce your wages if they felt it necessary to change the type of work you do.

L-Jay

hel wrote: »

I'm going to speak to the POA on Monday I think. I really hope they'll let me stay where I am because they've let other people...hopefully my answers will help my decision like you said.

Unfortunately, one of my worries is that my boss doesn't keep anything private (as crazy as that sounds) - as soon as I tell him I know everyone in the prison will find out and I really don't want that yet. I know I can go down the grievance route if that happened but it'd be too late by then! Aren't 'bosses' great!!

Ha ha, unfortunately gossip comes as a side order within prisons. Play to his ego - you've trusted him to go to, you know he understands the importance of discretion etc.

Definitely talk to the POA, personally I do think they need to consider how you feel, but what I would stress is you can always change your mind. Sometimes it's not just the risk from inmates but the environment itself, the amount of doors you have to unlock to get to the loo and the lask of hygiene and fresh air, that you need to consider.

hel

L-Jay wrote: »

Sometimes it's not just the risk from inmates but the environment itself, the amount of doors you have to unlock to get to the loo and the lask of hygiene and fresh air, that you need to consider.

You know prisons well lol! I don't see a window for 8 hours a day! I think I'll have to join the smokers but call them 'fresh air breaks'!!! :rotfl:

Paparika

Tbh would you want to put your unborn child at any risk? what cat are the prisoners?

I'm in probation myself and just dong a stint in the hostel side of it and if i were pregnant i wouldn't want to put my baby at any risk, and would accept a move if it meant my safety and my unborn was considered.

If they ask you to move and you refuse, what if something happened, would you be the type of person to try to sue your employers, even though they asked you to move for your own safety?

McKneff

:j Congratulations on your baby news:j