Sucker punch

After yesterdays little moan, I thought I'd re-read the maternity policy when I got into work. Beware, here comes a really big moan.

Ususal policy for all and sundry is that time taken for medical appointments must be made up or taken as holiday. I take holiday, because I've got no chance of making up the 60-70 hours a year I spend on appointments. So I use around nine days a year on appointments.

However, if I was optionally in need of appointments, i.e. ante/post natal, guess what? I would not be required to make up any time at all or to use holiday, and it would be fine for me to have these during standard working hours. I'd also get a £200 bung from the government for pro-creating successfully. Along with free dental and optical care for a year.

Trying to finish early to get to an appointment that HAS to fall in work time as hospitals are a 9-5 thing? Better have worked over or make the time up. Finishing at lunchtime to go to a room where somebody will teach you how to breathe correctly (somthing you really should have cracked by now to reach the age you are) - off you go.

And then we get the colleague who is on her third preganancy in four years.

That's 52 weeks at five days per week x 4 = 208 weeks
Say, nine months per prenancy on maternity leave = 36 weeks x 3 = 96 weeks
Lets posit an average of 10 days per pregnancy for appointments, morning sickeness, being knackered because you're carrying another human being around 24hrs a day = 6 weeks
Plus the minimum holiday leave each year of 22 days x 4 = 17 weeks (ish)

96+ 6 + 17 = 119 weeks over four years.
Thats 89 weeks AT work, and 119 weeks NOT at work over four years.

Believe me, my absence levels couldn't touch that. And remember, all the above is based on someone who doesn't take her full maternity leave allowance of 51 weeks per pregnancy, and doesn't take much time off compared to others I have worked with. At any given time we have at least 200 emplyees off on maternity leave.

And it's based on CHOICE. Which I don't have about my condition.

Now, I don't want you to think I believe my employer should just let me do as I please, I am aware that they are trying to run a business. I do agree that things like dental appointments and so on should be made out of working hours if possible or that time should be made up where necessary. I'm not a total idiot. However, my employer was aware of my condition and the cycle of hospital attendence when they employed me. Seven years ago. When I had six months off five years ago pre-and post op, I did volunteer for redundancy through ill health, but they declined.

So muttering threats at me now seems foolish at the very least.

It would be like buying a car with no brake pads and complaining that you keep hitting the garage door when trying to park up.