Is working during pregnancy possible?

Are you worried that once you are pregnant you have to leave your professional career. Don't be scared, Gone are the days when ladies have to sit at home once they are expecting. Pregnant women are the important part of our society and welcome in modern office too. There are laws in every country which decides the right of pregnant women; you just need to be aware of the same. However you should be very careful in handling daily routine work.

Some rights of pregnant women:

If you are a pregnant employee and living in the UK, you are currently entitled to 26 weeks ordinary Maternity Leave, followed by a further 26 weeks? Additional Maternity Leave. All employees are entitled to a minimum of two weeks maternity leave (four weeks for those who work in factories) immediately following the birth.

To take maternity leave you should inform your employer as soon as you are pregnant. Your employer must then let you know within 28 days, what date your maternity leave will end. You can choose when to start your maternity leave. This can usually be any date from the beginning of the 11th week before the baby is due. You can change this date as long as you give your employer 28 days notice.

Your employer can contact you (and vice versa) while you're on maternity leave, as long as the amount and type of contact is not unreasonable, to discuss a range of issues - for example, to discuss your plans for returning to work, or to keep you informed of important developments at your workplace. You should also be kept informed of any relevant promotion opportunities or job vacancies that arise during your maternity leave. You can change the date of your return to work as long as you inform your employer eight weeks in advance. If you decide not to return to work at the end of your maternity leave, you are entitled to continue to receive your full amount of statutory maternity leave and pay. You must give your employer at least the notice required by your contract. All women have a right to return to work after maternity leave, regardless of the size of their employer's company.

In Australia the amount of maternity leave you get is dependant upon the type of employment you do and if you are under a union of not. For example if you are in the teaching sector you can get up to 16 weeks paid maternity leave, whereas others such as a scientist will only get 6 weeks paid maternity leave, due to her employment contract. If you can, you should try and negotiate this before you sign a contract. Also in Australia, if you are under a permanent contract (ie. Not casual) you job will be secured for you for a year, so that you can take this time to be with your child without worrying about the security of your job.

If your partner is working for an employer he may be entitled to two weeks Statutory Paternity Leave and Pay, you would need to check his job contract.

If your job includes so much of physical activity like bending, repeated climbing of stairs, heavy lifting, or a lot of standing. You should discuss the matter with Human Resource department and they can serve you with the solution.

All these rights are applicable for major part of the world like USA, UK, Canada, India, and Australia. However you must contact your Human Resource department to get the exact policy and discuss any concerns with them.

UK Health and Safety regulations are in place to protect new and expectant mothers and their babies in the workplace, and employers are expected to be aware of, and if necessary remove, any risks or hazards that may affect you.

There are laws in US which states that discriminating pregnant women is a crime. Hawaii's Supreme Court found a business owner guilty of pregnancy discrimination. He was ordered to pay $21,500 in back wages and emotional damages. Federal and State laws make sure that Americans are able to have children without losing their jobs. Discrimination against you because you are pregnant violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

According to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in Fiscal Year 2003, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state and local agencies collected 12.4 million dollars from charges of pregnancy discrimination.

The federal Sex Discrimination Act 1983 of Australia states that it is unlawful for an employer to discriminate against an employee on the grounds of the employee's sex, marital status, pregnancy or potential pregnancy.

According to Indian and Canadian law it protects the rights of working women who are pregnant and those who have or plan to have children. In all provinces and territories, there are human rights laws that make it illegal for an employer to fire, mistreat or refuse to hire any worker because she is pregnant. In most jurisdictions, you have the right to keep working during your pregnancy as long as you are able to perform the essential or main duties of your job.

The federal government and all provinces have human rights commissions that handle complaints of employment discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of pregnancy. Employment and labor standards laws in many jurisdictions also prohibit employers from discriminating against pregnant employees.

If you have been the victim of pregnancy discrimination, you can file a complaint with your local human rights commission or labor/employment standards office. Federal and provincial laws require employers to maintain a healthy and safe work environment for all workers, not just pregnant workers.

Employers must be vigilant in the way in which they deal with their employees in order to avoid or minimize the likelihood of becoming embroiled in a pregnancy discrimination claim.

Here are some tips:

• Document all personnel actions in writing.
• Know the law. Be aware of whether or not state and/or federal law applies to your company.
• Develop and implement personnel policies that are gender-neutral.
• Make certain that comprehensive benefits packages provide coverage for pregnancy-related issues.
• Acquire adequate liability insurance.
• Utilize human resource professionals who are well versed in the legal requirements applicable to your company and vest in them the necessary authority to implement gender-neutral employment policies.

Many women have fought discrimination and have improved their work lives. The first step is to know your rights under the law.?Laws give you and your coworkers the right to start a group or a union to try to get better treatment at work. You can win!!!

Always refer and contact women's bureau of your state to know your rights and seek their help.

By following these small guidelines you can enjoy your pregnancy in work place too. I hope these facts will help lots of ladies who were scared of becoming pregnant as they don't want to lose their job. Now go ahead plan your baby and your professional career will be safe.

All the best!!!

(Sources: canadianliving.com,babycentre.co.uk)