Maternity / Sickness Leave

[natalie_1982]

Hi all, as some of you know I am off work sick at the moment - I am due to return Weds 19th after 7days self certification. I went to my GP on Weds who said that my sickness was a "nasty bug" but advised me to take one week off and to rest and keep my fluids up; she also said, once I had asked her that she could confirm that my absence categorically has nothing to do with my pregnancy.
Today, I got a text message from a colleague who is going on holiday tomorrow so I won't see her til she is back, forewarning me (I have since spoken with her) that in a team meeting this morning my manager asked if anyone knew when I would be returning (I emailed them Weds last week, left a message Weds last week and left a further message this morning and I know they recieved all of them). This colleague said that the message this morning said I would be back Weds; my manager said that I would need to contact HR upon my return because sickness will affect my maternity entitlement. It was apparently pointed out that a cold / chesty cough has nothing to do with pregnancy and she replied that it didn't matter and that I would need to take it up with HR.
I know that if I go sick with a pregnancy related illness in the last 4weeks before my maternity starts then they can start my mat leave early, but can it really affect my entitlement? All it's done is make me worry now, because pregnancy wise there is nothing to stop me from working, and I now wish I had gone in coughing and spluttering over everyone just so that I can get my full entitlement.

[Psychick]

Try not to let it worry you for now or else you wont get better. I know you cant get a sicknote but can you not explain to your docotr what is jappening and get him/her to give you some sort of written confirmation that it is not pregnancy related to pass on? That way you have written proof and there will be nothing they can do.

[natalie_1982]

Hi Psy, hope you're doing ok :-)

I spoke to HR since, and they've said that my manager was wrong and that as the absence is not pregnancy related than it cannot affect my mat leave, and that she shouldn't be putting me under that sort of stress, yadda yadda. Just wish people wouldn't throw around idle comments like that because money is tight for us, and I want to spend as much time with the baby as possible and not have to start my leave now, if possible. Roll on March 28th.....!

[Psychick]

jappening? lol can you tell I was multi tasking? Feeding baby and typing lol

Im glad you know the situation now an d can relax and concerntrate on getting well again. Am I right in guessing your manager hasnt been in this situation herself?

[natalie_1982]

Ironically, she's already being investigated for the way she treated someone I used to work with - this girl had her daughter at 25weeks and my manager refused to pay her maternity pay until she provided proof baby had been born, at the time they didn't know if littlun would survive (she's perfectly fine now and 18months old) let alone stressing about getting documents like that into an office. They then sent the girl a phone bill for �2.57 for calls that couldn't be accounted for on her work mobile. The manager does have kids of her own, in fact she has grandchildren now, but she's not what you'd call sympathetic - it's her way or the highway :-/