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January 2012 Moms
How much work is too much? Sorry, long post...
I was promoted to a manager position at my job just before I found out that I was pregnant. I work in a fast food restaurant that stays open late hours each day and work a variety of shifts each week...almost always closing the restaurant three nights a week (9 or 10 hours shifts each of those nights). I have several issues with this and I don't really know which direction to approach it from, so I'll ask you ladies for advice. Problem #1... I am still having quite a bit of morning sickness throughout each day. At late night when I work, I am the only person in the restaurant who knows how to run the cash register (thus I am the drive-thru cashier). If I have to get sick, there is no replacement for me and I just have to hurry up and do my thing and run back to taking orders and giving out food. It's gotten to the point where I have actually just had to puke in the trash can at drive-thru and then wash my hands and continue working. Usually, I need a few minutes after puking to be able to work normally because I feel shaky and my face is bright red and teared up. It's scary because if I were to start puking and not be able to stop (which has happenned before) then there would be some huge issues because everyone would have to wait and I can't exactly say (excuse me, I'll be right with you I need to vomit). Problem #2...Working 10 hours is killing me. It was rough before I was pregnant but now it's even worse. Yeah, I'm not the person scrubbing the floors and the grills but I am constantly on my feet and constantly doing something like dishes, preparing food, taking orders, etc... When I get home, I collapse and sleep for at least 10 or 11 hours just to recuperate (and often I am getting up just in time to go to work to do it again). My whole body is sore today from last night lol. Problem #3...my job knows that I am pregnant but they are not the most 'pregnant friendly' because so many people have been pregnant working there and had no issues with anything. I am already being complicated in their eyes because my doctor told me no floor cleaning and no grills because of the chemicals. I have already lost a baby and required emergency surgery to remove one of my tubes. I have had 4 prior abdominal surgeries and have a large piece of mesh from a hernia surgery in my stomach so I'm not exactly a normal pregnancy anyway.
So the dilemma, do I attempt to talk to my boss to get him to change up the schedule some? Or, do I talk to my doctor at my next appointment and just get him to write an order telling my work to adjust the schedule? Or, do I just start looking for another more friendly job? I am almost at the point of doing option number three because I know it's going to be a hassle and they are going to be pissy about changing it. I am the new manager and I get the "privelage" of working all the shifts that noone else wants to work because I am the newbie. I could possibly go back to my old job which is at an Italian/Greek restaurant as a Hostess. It pays slightly less but they know me very well and know the situation and would be more understanding than my current job. The work is not difficult and I would not be stuck in difficult situations like at my current job because there are always going to be waitresses there as well that could seat customers or answer the phones. Ugh...I don't know what to do!!!!
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Re: How much work is too much? Sorry, long post...
I would talk to your work, as high up as you can, and also talk to your Dr. Get Dr's orders that say you can only work for so many hours per day, and honestly, where do you work that they can't train someone else to do drive thru?
I used to work at Wendy's and they were awesome about working around my schedule. Mind you, I was also only 16-21 at the time I worked there, and I'm also Canadian (I don't know if that matters, but it might be different if you are in the states).
Are you on meds for your morning sickness? I think I would start by asking your doctor for something to stop the vomiting at work. If you are currently on something and it doesn't seem to be helping that much, you can ask your doctor for an increase in meds or to try something else.
I understand you don't have a virus or something but I'm pretty sure that puking in the trashcan in the drive-thru is not very sanitary in the eyes of the health department.
You need to decide what is important to you after the baby is born. Is this a career path you want to continue pursuing? If you stick it out now what are the opportunities for growth in the future? What happens if you quit there now and go elsewhere...what will your opportunities for advancement be and how long will it take to advance compared to how much time it has taken you to advance where you are now?
That really stinks. Like PP said, I'd go up as far as I could in the chain of command to discuss job flexibility for the time being. I'd probably also stress that I'd let them know when I was feeling better so that I could start taking the crummy shifts again (to show that I am a team player). As for the length of the day... does that 10 hours break down to 8 hours with breaks? If that's the case, they might not be as flexible.
As for switching jobs, my main thought would be about health insurance and the ability to afford the baby after s/he arrives.
I'd probably first ask the higher ups for more flexibility, but also be looking for something else on the side that may be more baby friendly. That doesn't necessarily mean going back to your old job.
Good luck!
A ten hour shift is a ten hour shift...I do not get a break period unless there is another manager in the store to relieve me (which is rare). The shift I worked last night was 6pm until 4am. I sat down at the end of the shift to do paperwork and that was it..the rest of the time I was on the floor taking orders or helping them clean. My legs are actually sore today...and I get to go in at 5pm and work until 3am tonight-goody. I found out I was pregnant about 2 days after my promotion went into effect. My eligibility for health insurance came up about 2 weeks after my promotion and since I was already pregnant and had been to the doctor, I was unable to recieve maternity care from the insurance so I opted out of getting any at all. There is a possibility of moving up to assistant manager but that possibility is slim and not in the near future - we're talking a few years until a spot opens up. I do not know whether this is my career choice for life or not, but I honestly don't think so. It's just what I've done the past 4 years because it's what's available where I live. It's comfortable (well it was when I wasn't pregnant). My old job does not have a lot of room for promotion, but there are raises and it is very flexible. Two women I worked with both were pregnant and worked the whole time (until they went into labor actually) with no issues. The manager is understanding and will work with you to fix any problems. There are no ten hour shifts either...or heavy lifting. There is always another person that can replace me if I need the toilet for a few minutes. It would be comfortable now. The only reason I switched jobs was for the possibility of promotion to assistant manager. Now that I know how slim that possibility is, I have no reason to continue working toward that goal realistically. If they give me any grief when I talk to them tonight about the schedule, then I'm just going to put in my notice and either talk to my old boss or look elsewhere. I am stressing too much over this and I know that it's not good for the baby.
From your last post i get the impression that you would be much happier back in the hostess job. No long hours and a more flexible work schedule.
But if you want to stay in your current job even if another promotion doesn't seem possible then I'd talk to the higher ups about you puking in the garbage can at the drivethru. Tell them how unsanitary it is and I think they'd have to do something about it (aka hiring or training someone else who can do registers as well). And aren't jobs required to give you some sort of break when you work that long of a shift? I work 10 hr days at my job and they're required to give me a 30 mn break. Granted, it's not a long time to get some rest and eat but it's better than nothing! And quite necessary when you're pregnant!
If you think management isn't going to be supportive of you for your pregnancy then it's probably better to make the switch sooner rather than later. Good luck!
After your update, I'd probably move on if I were you - especially if they don't agree to change your hours. That totally sucks, but 10 hour shifts are a no-go.
Good luck to you!
I don't know who told you that but pregnancy is not and CAN NOT be considered a pre-existing condition by law. So even if you went to the doctor 10 times for pregnancy before getting insurance they can not refuse to cover you.