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Is my manager indirectly "discriminating" against me bc I'm pregnant?

amandalsmileyamandalsmiley member
in Working Moms
Hi, I'm 24 wks & 2 days pregnant. I work at a bank that has 7 days a week shift work. Recently, every other week I work a schedule where my days off are one at a time with 4 + days in between not to mention I'll close one night (10:30am- 8:30pm) and open the next morning (7:30am - 4:30pm). Just a a week or 2 ago I noticed the fatigue is coming back with vengeance (pregnancy related). I discussed with my manager having my schedule altered so that I could have two days off in a row or closer together so I can better cope with the fatigue & she basically said she can't make any promises because "Nobody has a guarantee" due to our bank hours. She went on to ask me if there is a "medical reason" I need an exception made. I feel like she was challenging me as if to say my pregnancy wasn't a good enough reason for them to accommodate my request. She said that they don't have the means to set anything in stone. I think this is just an excuse she's using basically to intimidate me into giving up on my request. Is it just me or does this seem wrong? I've been reading a lot of pregnancy discrimination laws and because they're not treating my request as a serious medical concern, I think this might be indirect discrimination. What do you ladies think? Can my doctor or HR rep help me? Have you been through anything similar? Thanks a bunch!
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Re: Is my manager indirectly "discriminating" against me bc I'm pregnant?

  • amandalsmileyamandalsmiley member
    Interesting perspectives... sounds like most of you think I need a doctors note. I'm surprised no one thinks an employer should consider a pregnant employees request as necessary. If an employee who had cancer came to them and made the same request I did then I wonder if it would be held to a different level of importance. Or if they'd ask that employee for a medical reason? I don't think so. If this world is that callous then that is really a shame. But all of you agree they are right to not consider my request without being forced to by my doctor. I'm pretty surprised.
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  • amandalsmileyamandalsmiley member
    I appreciate your feedback & my next step is the doctor's then! Even though that is clearly my only option. So sad everything has to be such battle. My other problem is that they do make PLENTY of accommodations for my other coworkers & I'm the only person for the last 6 months who has purposely not asked for any special accommodations BECAUSE I didn't want them to think I was playing "poor pregnant lady". I was surprised that they so often work around other people's family lives but my request was so ill received. I brought that up to my manager and she said they need me to fill in for everyone's requests... but even more testimony to the fact that I need something in writing that will show them they need to atlleast pretend to factor my pregnancy into the equation.
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  • ASmallWonderASmallWonder member
    Having cancer is not AT ALL the same as dealing with the regular challenges that come with a healthy pregnancy.  Being pregnant is not, by itself, a "medical condition" in the way you think it is.  You say they've catered to special requests - can you elaborate?  If they're granting other people exactly what you're asking for, that's a problem.  If it's not exactly what you're asking for, it's apples and oranges.  If say, someone asked to work the later shift on Saturdays because their kid has soccer and another employee wants to work Saturday mornings, that's not at all the same as asking to have 2 guaranteed back to back days off.
    Formerly known as elmoali :)

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  • jennyelfjennyelf member
    Pregnancy is not a medical disability in itself. If you need medical accommodations, you should have a doctor write up something for you. If someone with cancer needed accommodations and didn't want their work to know they had cancer, they'd probably just bring a generic doctor note that said "Patient A needs the following accommodation (no late nights, 18 hours between shifts, etc.) for medical reasons. Signed, Dr B."
     
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  • jf198400jf198400 member
    Did you have these same hours before you were pregnant? Do your coworkers work similar shifts? If the answer to these questions is yes, then you are not being discriminated against.
    When I was pregnant I asked if I could have a reserved parking space close to the building b/c it was winter and icy and I was 9months pregnant and had to park far away. I was obviously a giant whale, but HR still asked me to bring in a DRs note for my request. It sucks to deal with red tape over stupid things that are obvious. But these procedures are in place for a reason.
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  • ASmallWonderASmallWonder member
    And not to go all "just you wait" but you're tired right now from growing a kid and guess what?  In a few months you're going to be exhausted from taking care of/raising a kid.  When you're a parent, there are no days off it's just that for some you go to work and get paid.
    Formerly known as elmoali :)

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  • lollipoppooplollipoppoop member
    No they are not discriminating against you and you sound like an ass comparing pregnancy to cancer.
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  • jesuisfatigueejesuisfatiguee member

    Failing to see how following company procedure and red tape is "calloused."

    And LOL at pregnancy is comparable to cancer. GTFO.




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  • cwm11985cwm11985 member
    Um.  I'm due tomorrow and this whole time I've worked 5 days in a row every week... I think you'll survive.
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  • *sparky**sparky* member
    Holy crap I cannot believe you are comparing your PG to having cancer. I am in my 9th month of PG and my very good friend in the same time period has gone through 6 rounds of chemotherapy and surgery for breast cancer. She has been through complete and total hell and I would never in a million year try to compare what I have been through to what she has gone through.

    Lots of people work their entire PG with no special accommodations. So if you feel you need a special accommodation then it is no surprise that they require a note from a doctor.

     

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  • ASmallWonderASmallWonder member
    I don't think we'll ever hear from her again.  Hope.  Maybe hope is the word I was thinking of.
    Formerly known as elmoali :)

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  • *sparky**sparky* member
    elmoali said:

    I don't think we'll ever hear from her again.  Hope.  Maybe hope is the word I was thinking of.

    Yeah, me too. She obviously struck a chord with me. I am hoping she does not come back.

     

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  • jesuisfatigueejesuisfatiguee member

    I'm choosing to believe it was MUD, and she won't come back.




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  • HelenahhandbasketHelenahhandbasket member

    Um, most pregnant working moms work 5 days in a row without a day off. 

     

     

     

    BFP 1- EDD 2/09/11 Missed MC DX @11 weeks D&C- 7/25/10 BFP 2- EDD 12/22/11 Natural MC @ 5w 2d BFP 3- EDD 1/25/12 DD Josephine born 1/16/12

    Lilypie - (TUWi)

     

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  • banks81banks81 member
    The fact that they are asking for medical documentation is partially so they don't get accused of discrimination.  This way they aren't subjectively deciding who they think needs special treatment and who doesn't.  If you think it's truly an issue, then talk to your doctor and get the documentation.  I think this is standard at most companies.
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