Category Archives for Blogs

Did you Follow today’s #1230KISS Twitterview with Mindy Gibbins-Klein?

Karren Brady and Mindy Gibbins-Klein

One question I posed to Mindy was – Yesterday evening I had the great pleasure of hearing Karren Brady speak at the Kent2020 Dinner. One of her six key points to successful business is “Direction” Karren said “The whole world steps aside for a man who knows where he’s going”. I asked Mindy if she agreed/would like to add to that.

Quick as a flash came back “A MAN who knows where he is going?! Surely women on fire make people JUMP aside!”

Posted by on 08/04/2011 14:39:54

Looking to give someone a hot lead…

I’ve just had an American client of mine ask me if I know someone who could do some work of a type that I personally don’t do. Perhaps at the 1230 Blackeath event tomorrow I could really make someone’s day by passing this lead on! If you are going to be there….I look forward to meeting you!

Balancing the Bump – Working whilst pregnant, sickness and absence issues

Annabel: Pregnant women are protected from discrimination, so you should not be treated worse than a male colleague on sick leave if you are off with a pregnancy-related sickness. Even if your employer’s sick pay scheme is ‘discretionary’, this does not entitle them to exercise their discretion in an unlawfully discriminatory way. You should take advice if you feel you are being treated differently to other sick colleagues.

Laura: A condition which affects mobility is Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) which causes pain in the pubic area. This can be debilitating and you may find it hard to walk, so the commute becomes impossible . If appropriate, you could work from home or see if your employer would stretch to a taxi in and out of work. You could also see if your role could change, for example working on a different project or in a different department until you go on leave. Your GP may issue you a fit note, which is a sick note listing what you are fit for, and what adjustments are needed to get you back to work.

Annabel: Employers are not obliged to adjust your role in line with “fit note” recommendations. Many employers will make adjustments for you, but if they can’t then you will be off sick until you are fit to return to normal duties, at whatever rate of sick pay you are entitled to. If you work with lead, radioactive substances or hazardous chemicals that potentially put your unborn child at risk (your job’s risk assessment should show this), then your employer has a duty to adjust your role, offer you alternative employment (at the same rate of pay) or even suspend you on pay in order to protect you and your unborn child. This is extremely rare and does not cover any general worries you might have – for example being exposed to coughs and colds during the winter etc. If you unreasonably refuse an alternative role, you may not be paid. Take advice if you find yourself in this situation.

Laura: Your employer is able to start your maternity leave early if you take time off in your last 4 weeks before your due date because of a pregnancy related illness.

Annabel: This is because maternity leave is triggered by pregnancy related absence (including illness) during the last four weeks. A common reason for this is the baby coming early. If you do start maternity leave earlier than planned, remember you need to come back earlier than planned!

There is no reason why pregnancy needs to be a problem for employers if they support their team in the right way and communicate effectively.

Do you have a query that you’d like Laura or Annabel to answer? Follow this link and post your question for them – http://balancingthebump.com/contact/

New Photography Boudoir Site

Please check out my new boudoir website, www.beautifulme.co
If you like what you see, please tell your friends about it.

Posted by on 31/03/2011 21:54:14

Blackheath Rocks!

I really enjoyed today’s event. I had no idea there are so many talented business women on my doorstep that I would never have otherwise met or known about. From designers, to vegan chocolate makers, to maternity consultants to IT Communications specialists….and that’s just a few of them. Brilliant!

Balancing the Bump – time, money, parenthood and the law

Annabel: I am always amazed how women deal with being pregnant at work. Women who were healthy and robust sometimes adopt the attitude that pregnancy is some form of illness and that they simply cannot do a reliable or complete job whilst pregnant. Others sail through with no obvious change until the very latest moment. There are so many misunderstandings about safety and risk when it comes to pregnancy at work.

All employers need to do Health and Safety risk assessments. All but the smallest employers should have them in writing. This assessment should include risk to pregnant women and unborn children regardless of whether anyone is pregnant at the time the assessment is done.

Laura: When you notify your boss that you are pregnant your workspace should be checked to see that it is set up appropriately for you and your growing bump. You may also need a specific evacuation procedure so let the building manager know that you are pregnant or ask your line manager to do so. If you work very long hours this may need to reduce depending on your circumstances.

Annabel: If the job involves a lot of standing, then you may need to have somewhere to sit when things are quiet so you can take the weight off your feet! If your job involves lifting you should already be trained in ‘Manual handling techniques’. You can always split a box – carry half at a time or ask a colleague to help.

Laura: In my experience emotional health is a real ‘risk.’. There may be an overwhelming sense of responsibility which can increase the risk of stress related illness. A woman may feel more anxious . Managers should be sensitive to this – but not let underperformance go unchecked.

Annabel: There is a real difference, both legally and practically between “Here is a note from my GP saying this is dangerous for me because this is not a healthy pregnancy and I am at risk (or my baby is)” and “I am pregnant, I must be careful, so I have decided that I can’t do the following things.”

Do you have a query that you’d like Laura or Annabel to answer? Follow this link and post your question for them – http://balancingthebump.com/contact/

Annabel Kaye is Managing Director of Irenicon Ltd, a specialist employment law consultancy. Tel: 08452 303050 Fax: 08452 303060 Website : www.irenicon.co.uk. You can follow Annabel on twitter – http://twitter.com/AnnabelKaye. Our specialist site for pregnancy and parenthood at work can be found on www.balancingthebump.com

Busy at Friction

I’m happy to have 1230 coming to do their 1230 Twilight event at Friction lounge and bar Beckenham, I’m very excited about this and the events I have arranged there . It’s going to be a good year.

Did you miss me?

Great to see everyone who was at yesterday’s meeting in Bromley – and thanks for my special 1 minute spot : )

I had to leave before the end to go and seal a deal (it was worth it!) but it did mean I wasn’t there to give people more info on my event – THE FIVE KEYS TO CREATING ENOUGH TIME.

Here’s the web address for all the information and booking: http://www.essential-woman.com/bromley
Please pass it on to all the women you know who will benefit!

Look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Posted by on 17/02/2011 10:51:30

Hello Blackheath!

I’m really looking forward to the first meeting of the 1230 Blackheath group on 3rd March. I hope to meet up with both new and familiar faces and get chatting and sharing!

Posted by on 17/02/2011 14:08:40

Balancing the Bump – time, money, parenthood and the law

Annabel: Pregnant women are legally entitled to paid time off to attend ante-natal clinics (this does not come out of holiday or sick leave). One of the first things that causes friction between manager and pregnant woman is that these visits, often for a 10 minute check up, can involve being absent for half a day or more! Managers can ask to see the appointment card to check if the visit is genuine, but this shows distrust of the employee, and starts things off on the wrong foot. Little seems to be done about the time out of work these check-ups take.

In my day, the hospitals made appointments for 40 women at 9am, and we were just expected to sit around and wait our turn. Later on, shared care with GPs was invented, but from experience at my own GP surgery, a visit always involves a lot of waiting.

Laura: If you search around you can find a doctor’s surgery that will have early/later hours for you to be seen. Your local clinic will usually have a midwife or a doctor on site that can do the relevant check-ups. In some cases, there are midwife led units that will come and see you in your home at a time that is convenient to you. Some companies are seeing the value of having a private GP nearby which is funded by the company, and some have a doctor on site that can provide the necessary checks. Then there is the private care. If you (or your company) can afford to pay you won’t have to wait!

Make appointments at the start or end of the day if the surgery is near to home. Some jobs can be done from a waiting room, and there is no need for any real loss of working time. It can be more efficient to make a temporary ‘working from home’ agreement for ante-natal clinic days, if the job permits this. Employers shouldn’t assume that because an employee is out of the office they aren’t doing work.

Annabel: It sounds as though you need to start talking and making arrangements as early as you can. It pays to get any agreements put into writing (or at least confirmed by email) so there are no arguments later on. You should be aware that private medical care can be a taxable benefit, so even if you are lucky enough to persuade your employer to pay for this, this will affect your tax situation.

Do you have a query that you’d like Laura or Annabel to answer? Follow this link and post your question for them – http://balancingthebump.com/contact/

Annabel Kaye is Managing Director of Irenicon Ltd, a specialist employment law consultancy. Tel: 08452 303050 Fax: 08452 303060 Website : www.irenicon.co.uk. You can follow Annabel on twitter – http://twitter.com/AnnabelKaye. Our specialist site for pregnancy and parenthood at work can be found on www.balancingthebump.com

Posted by on 16/02/2011 14:10:29