DL & CCMC Pty Ltd (Just Better Care Mornington, Outer East, Outer North East & Hobart) is committed to protect pregnant women from any risks or hazards that may affect them in the workplace. We acknowledge that not all pregnancy experiences are the same and we want to ensure we support a healthy and safe workplace for each individual experience.
If you are pregnant
You might need to tell us you are pregnant earlier than you would like to so we can ensure that your workplace is safe, and you will be able to do this confidentially.
If you feel that you are being exposed to something at work that will impact on the health of your pregnancy, please talk to your Manager or Human Resources as soon as possible.
Potential risks may include:
• exposure to chemicals and materials
• excessive travel
• heavy lifting
• physically exhausting work
We will do a new risk assessment for your job which takes into consideration your pregnancy along with the tasks and activities you are performing – these may need to be repeatedly reassessed as your pregnancy progresses as what may not be a risk early on, might become a risk later in pregnancy.
You will need to provide evidence to us that:
• you can work but can’t perform your normal job, including why your normal job is no longer safe
• when you believe you will be able to return to your normal job.
• A medical certificate to support your requirements
Safe Jobs
All pregnant employees, including casuals, are entitled to move to a safe job if it isn’t safe for them to do their usual job because of their pregnancy. This includes employees that aren’t eligible for unpaid parental leave.
An employee who moves to a safe job will still get the same pay rate, hours of work and other entitlements that she got in her usual job. She and her employer can agree on different working hours. She will stay until it's safe to go back to her normal job, or until she gives birth.
When no safe job is available
If there is no safe job available the employee can take no safe job leave. If the employee is entitled to unpaid parental leave, no safe job leave is paid.
For a full-time or part-time employee, no safe job leave is paid at the base rate of pay for ordinary hours of work.
For a casual, no safe job leave is paid at the base rate of pay (not including the casual loading) for the average number of hours they would have worked in the period they're on leave.
Employees who aren't entitled to unpaid parental leave can take unpaid no safe job leave.
Directing employees to take parental leave
If a pregnant employee wants to work in the 6 weeks before her due date her employer can ask for a medical certificate within 7 days that states:
• She can continue to work
• It’s safe for her to do her normal job
If the certificate says she’s fit for work but it isn’t safe for her to continue in her normal job, then the employee will be entitled to a safe job or no safe job leave.
If she doesn’t provide a medical certificate or the certificate says she can’t continue work at all then the employer can direct her to start unpaid parental leave.
An employee’s unpaid parental leave starts when she is directed to take unpaid parental leave and will count as part of the employee’s total unpaid parental leave entitlement.
If the employee planned to take parental leave at a later date after the birth, the period of directed leave doesn’t have to be taken in a continuous period with the other parental leave.
Protection from discrimination
An employee can’t be discriminated against because she’s pregnant. This means that an employee can’t be fired, demoted or treated differently to other employees because she’s pregnant.
Tips for you at work
• Review your office and desk set up regularly throughout your pregnancy
• Reduce your stress in the workplace with deep breathing or short walks and take regular breaks
• Stretch if you've been sitting and sit down, and raise your feet if you've been standing
• If in doubt, don't – if something seems too heavy to lift, or you're feeling dizzy or faint ask for help or find out if someone else can do the task instead of you
• eat properly
• Wear comfortable clothes and shoes
• Drink plenty of water
• Keep your Manager or Human Resources regularly informed
References: https://www.fairwork.gov.au/leave/maternity-and-parental-leave/pregnant-employee-entitlements