Anyone know about working conditions in pregnancy?

Hi guys,

Anyone know if pregnant women are entitled to extra breaks when at work?

I work in Morrisons on the checkout and we have a girl who is pregnant, I think she thinks I'm a bit weird because I keep asking her how she is and if she is being treated well by the company. At Morrisons, if you work more than 4 but less than 8 hours then you only get a 15 min break, which is fine normally, although it is much nicer getting 15 mins in the middle of 4 hours compared to 7 but I don't think it is right for a pregnant woman to not get any more than that in 7 hours. Last Saturday we were on break together and she works 7 hours on sat so, her lunch has to be taken in 15 mins. This might be fine if you work in an office or anywhere you can just get up and walk around and go to the loo or have a drink at anytime but on the checkout you cannot go anywhere, you are not allowed to drink even. I find it hard going when I am on the checkout for 3 or 4 straight hours and it is hot and I cannot have a drink, if I was pregnant I do not know how I would cope. You wouldn't think it but it is quite hard work on the checkout, you are constantly twisting and turning and pulling through a lot of heavy items such as boxes of beer etc. I think surely she should be entitled to extra breaks, or at least be allowed to have a drink at the checkout (diabetics are allowed drinks when on checkout) or even have the right to change her hours around so that she gets the chance to have a proper meal because in 15 mins you cannot get from the checkout up to the canteen and have something proper to eat, visit the loo and get back to the checkout. She has asked and the personnel manager said why should she get extra breaks and not everyone else.

Also, they've told her she'll only get 6 months paid maternity leave, can take another 6 months unpaid and she has to come back to work afterwards or she has to pay it all back. I thought the paying it back went out with the ark although I'm not sure about the length of paid maternity leave but I thought it had increased to 9 months, a few of my friends got 9 months but perhaps that was just their employer being generous?

Can anyone offer advice?

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Student Midwife!!
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It seems a bit unreasonable to expect anyone to get from the checkout up to the canteen, eat, go to the loo and get back to checkout in 15 mins IMO.

Could she not speak with head office if she has had no joy with personnel?

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misscurious x
JLS to win x

She's not really the kind of girl to stand up for herself and do that. If I could find out for sure she should be entitled to another break I would do it for her but I don't want to create any problems for her by making unneccesary fuss.

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Throughout the ages, the rainbow has been the symbol of hope, a promise of better things to come. The ancients greeks personified the rainbow as the goddess Iris.
Student Midwife!!
Moderator
SMNet University Student Representative


Do you want to write for the newsletter?? PM me, Karrierbag or Butterfly, opportunity is knocking.........

Ahh right i see, maybe the CRB would be worth a phone call? They might be able to help and advise if no one here can?
They should be able to tell you what she should be entitled to.

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misscurious x
JLS to win x

Thanks, I will try that, at a more reasonable hour, I'm off to bed now or I'll be useless in the morning when my boys start demanding I get up and do their breakfast!

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Throughout the ages, the rainbow has been the symbol of hope, a promise of better things to come. The ancients greeks personified the rainbow as the goddess Iris.
Student Midwife!!
Moderator
SMNet University Student Representative


Do you want to write for the newsletter?? PM me, Karrierbag or Butterfly, opportunity is knocking.........

Ok, hope it goes well, sorry i couldn't be more help, let me know what they say.

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misscurious x
JLS to win x

When I worked as a checkout supervisor at Morrisons we got... (including "normal staff")

15 minutes for 4 hours (paid break)
30 minutes for 5 hours (unpaid break)
45 minutes for 6 hours (15 paid, 30 unpaid)
1 hr for 7 hours (unpaid)
8+ hours was 1.5 hours (2 15 min paid breaks, 1 hour unpaid lunch)

Under 18s got 20 minutes I believe on shifts of 4.5 hours

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i used to work in morrisons lets just say they are not really pregnent friendly

we had a girl who worked on the produce department, lugging crates and heavy boxes, on her feet all day, very little breaks, 10 hour days, and then wondered why she signed herself off work then went in maternity.

and the 15 min break, by the time you have got up there, queue for the food your break is over

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Student Midwife jan 08



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15 minutes break is not fair at all, no chance to do anything at all in that time.

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misscurious x
JLS to win x

Yes I do remember rules were "15 minutes from leaving point of work" so if you'd signed off your till you were on your break... regardless of the fact you have to then walk across the store (being stopped by customers along the way!) and into the staff area which would take 3-5 minutes to do.. plus being back... you had to be back at you till at the 15 minute mark.. so really you had 5-6 minutes... I think many times I told em to do one and took 15 minutes from the moment I lit my fag and opened my can of coke/sipped my tea!!!

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