Can a pregnant woman work? Working hours for pregnant women under the labor code Pregnancy and physical work

There is usually no medical reason to interrupt work during pregnancy, unless your job involves heavy physical labor or your pregnancy is not fraught with complications. Almost all women can safely work until the time comes for childbirth. In fact, there are benefits to working while pregnant, not to mention the obvious financial benefits. Work occupies your head, so time runs faster, and contacts with people who are at work do not allow you to focus on thoughts about yourself.

At the very beginning of pregnancy, calculate all the financial benefits that follow from your position. Evaluate the wellness activities offered by your corporation, if any, and your personal wellness plans. Find out if your next vacation can be used as maternity leave. By law, employers are not required to compensate their employees for time lost due to pregnancy and childbirth, but some companies do include such losses in their benefits package.

And not all expectant mothers can afford to be at home during the entire period of pregnancy, most women work until maternity leave. The need to work during pregnancy can be due to several reasons. This is the unwillingness to interrupt a successful career, to be always in shape, the fear of losing a good job and a stable income, and there are situations in which a pregnant woman at work cannot be replaced by anyone. But working pregnant women should be aware that they will have to face a number of troubles that can complicate the course of their usual work. The first difficulties will await a pregnant woman during a trip to work - in transport, the expectant mother often gets sick. If the work is associated with prolonged sitting, this can also seriously affect the condition of a pregnant woman. With a long sitting, the increased weight of the expectant mother falls on the spine, as a result of which back pain will certainly appear. A pregnant woman needs to follow the right diet, which will be difficult to do while at work. Another important situation that may arise in the workplace is the presence of smoking employees. There is no need to repeat that passive smoking is just as dangerous for the expectant mother as active smoking. And it should be noted that many pregnant women can hardly tolerate the smell of tobacco.

Experts advise the expectant mother, if she continues to work during pregnancy, to try to negotiate her new work schedule, in which the woman could start the working day later than the usual schedule and leave work earlier, the possibility of temporary suspension from some duties. A woman should try to complete the amount of work in the least amount of time and, if possible, switch to home work. The working capacity of a pregnant woman will primarily be determined by her well-being and state of health. The expectant mother should know that the duration of the working day of a pregnant woman should be no more than 6 hours. A pregnant woman should not be at work that is associated with the use of chemicals and toxic substances, she is not recommended for hard physical labor - you can not carry and move heavy objects. Currently, most workplaces are equipped with computers, during which electromagnetic radiation is generated. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on the nature of the influence of the computer on the human body. But there are facts that the risk of developing premature birth is higher in women whose work is connected with a computer. Therefore, the expectant mother is not recommended to work at the computer for a long time, she needs to follow a number of simple rules that will help reduce the impact of the computer on her body.

It is important to observe the mode of work at the computer - it is strictly forbidden for a pregnant woman to work at the computer for several hours continuously, it is recommended to work for 40-45 minutes, then rest for 110-15 minutes with the monitor turned off. If there is free time or pauses in work, then the expectant mother should get up and walk around (to stretch her legs), do some simple relaxation exercises. While sitting at the computer, it is recommended to periodically (4-5 times) change your posture so that congestion does not occur in the pelvic organs and in the legs and osteochondrosis of the spine does not develop. With prolonged sitting, there is stagnation of blood in the pelvic organs, which certainly leads to disruption of the blood supply to all organs, deterioration of metabolic processes and oxygen delivery to the fetus. To reduce the load on the spine, the workplace (computer desk) should be placed below the waist. You should put your feet on a small bench and change the position of your legs, as well as stretch your legs from time to time, make rotational movements with your feet and toes. The chair should have armrests and a straight back. You should be at the computer so that the light source is on the right or left, the screen is at eye level. When working on a computer, the eyes experience a lot of stress, so it is necessary to periodically rest the eyes. The following exercises for the eyes will help with this: you should quickly blink your eyes, then close your eyes and rotate your eyeballs in different directions or look at a distant object. To prevent the development of “carpal tunnel syndrome” when working on a computer, in which there is a feeling of numbness in the fingers, pain in the wrist joint and in the palms, experts recommend keeping your hands on the table, and not on weight, periodically doing exercises to relax your hands. During pregnancy, the center of gravity shifts, so the expectant mother needs to do some movements during the work process differently than before. If earlier a woman lifted things, leaning forward with straightened legs, now she must ensure that she does not bend over and bend her knees. A pregnant woman cannot be forced to work night shifts, on weekends and sent on business trips. She is not recommended activities in which the standing period takes more than 3 hours, work at the machine is contraindicated, types of work associated with vibration, strong noise and high temperature in the working room, monotonous work on the conveyor. The expectant mother should not forego such privileges, as these precautions are solely aimed at maintaining the good condition of the pregnant woman and her unborn child. After all, a child, being in utero, experiences the same physical and mental overloads as his mother.

The best option would be if a pregnant woman independently draws up an individual work plan for the near future. In this schedule, she should take into account the time when increased performance is noted, and the period of the day when rest is needed. If good performance is noted in the morning hours, then difficult work should be done at this time, and the rest - after lunch.

During the rest, experts recommend not remembering the difficulties associated with work, and doing exercises to relax and calm down. If the work is associated with prolonged sitting, then it is necessary to take frequent breaks and walk around (move from one room to another, leave the room). A pregnant woman should make sure that she has a comfortable chair at her workplace. The woman should place a small pillow under her back. When sitting for a long time, the legs must be kept on a bench or on a paper box to prevent the appearance of edema, you can not cross your legs. If the work is associated with prolonged standing, then this will have a negative impact on the condition of the back muscles. To relieve or reduce pressure on the back during standing work, it is recommended that a pregnant woman put one foot on a small bench or stand. It will also help reduce congestion in the leg veins. The expectant mother needs to wear comfortable shoes with low heels and in the process of standing for a long time, take breaks and simple exercises to rest her legs more often.

It is necessary to note some diseases in which it is absolutely contraindicated for a pregnant woman to work.

The threat of abortion. With the threat of termination of pregnancy, doctors recommend bed rest and stay in the inpatient department for the expectant mother. Bed rest in this situation is necessary to eliminate the tension of individual muscle groups, increase the tone of the uterus, which in turn can lead to detachment of the fetal egg.
Habitual miscarriage. Recurrent miscarriage is a condition in which a woman has had two or more miscarriages before 22 weeks. For such a woman, bed rest, careful care, and even special treatment are prescribed as early as possible. If these conditions are met, in 98% of cases a woman will be able to give birth to a full-term baby. If the doctor's recommendations are not followed, then this may cause another spontaneous abortion, so the expectant mother must refuse to work, follow the recommendations of the attending physician and observe bed rest. Bed rest in this situation is prescribed at the same time as miscarriages were observed in previous pregnancies.
placenta previa- a condition in which obstetrician-gynecologists do not recommend working for pregnant women. If a woman has placenta previa, she is prescribed bed rest and medical supervision.
Increased blood pressure, the appearance of edema and the presence of protein in the urine. With gestosis in a pregnant woman, bed rest will help normalize blood pressure and improve heart function and circulatory function. There are pregnancy complications in which a woman can work, but she must definitely monitor her condition and follow the doctor's recommendations. This condition includes varicose veins. If a woman has varicose veins, then she should lie down several times during the day for 10-15 minutes, raising her legs. In a horizontal position, the passage of blood through the veins improves, which does not lead to stagnant processes in them. If this is not possible, then the pregnant woman is advised to put her feet on a chair or elevated surface. You should refuse to work if thrombophlebitis has developed during varicose veins - a serious complication in which there is an increase in body temperature and a painful sensation appears along the veins.

If the expectant mother continues to go to work, then she must remember the occurrence of those phenomena in which she should immediately consult a doctor. These include: vaginal bleeding or profuse spotting, nagging pain in the lower abdomen and lower back, the absence of the child's movement for 12 hours.

Pregnant women, if they continue to work, are transferred to a lighter type of work or work in which there is no effect on the body of harmful production factors. If the issue of transferring a pregnant woman to an easy type of work is not resolved, she is released from work, while she retains the average salary for all missed days at the expense of the enterprise.

In Russia, a pregnant woman is entitled to maternity leave, which is 70 calendar days (for multiple pregnancy - 84 days) before delivery and 70 calendar days (if the birth was complicated, then 86 days, and when two or more children are born - 110 days). days) after childbirth. Maternity leave is granted to a woman from the 30th week of pregnancy. Under Russian law, maternity leave is calculated in total and is given to the woman in full, regardless of the number of days used before childbirth. Also, a woman is granted annual leave (regardless of length of service), which she can use before or after maternity leave. Even if a pregnant woman copes with work without fatigue, maintains a correct schedule of work and rest, she is still recommended to go on maternity leave 2 months before the expected date of birth. This time, the expectant mother should spend in a relaxed atmosphere and prepare for the birth of the baby. She should get enough sleep, spend more time walking in the fresh air, and pay enough attention to physical education.

It is important for a working pregnant woman to remember that stressful situations are inevitable during the work process. Stress is dangerous for the body, and even more so for the body of the expectant mother. A woman during pregnancy becomes more emotional, she is more prone to excitability processes, reacts more sharply to occurring phenomena. The body responds to the occurrence of stressful situations with an alarming reaction, in which an increased content of hormones is released into the blood, blood pressure increases, an increase in heart rate, a decrease in vascular tone, and emotional stress appear. The body responds to stress with tension in the work of the main organs and systems. And, if the stressful situation is prolonged in time, this leads to the depletion of the resources of the body of a pregnant woman, which will immediately affect the development of the unborn child. The expectant mother should know that the symptoms of stress manifestations include: constant headache, feeling of dissatisfaction, increased fatigue and irritability, bad mood, depression, sleep disturbance, upset in the gastrointestinal tract. No one is safe from conflicts at work, so a pregnant woman should learn how to respond normally to a stressful situation. The expectant mother should not raise her voice in the current situation, it is necessary to breathe deeply and rhythmically (for 1 deep breath, you need to take 3 short exhalations), it is recommended to drink hot, sweet, weak tea. If the situation allows, the woman should go out into the fresh air. It is strictly forbidden for a future mother to use cigarettes, strong coffee and alcoholic drinks to relieve tension. As a result of the research, experts came to the conclusion that chocolate has an anti-stress effect. The composition of the chocolate bar includes substances similar to the "hormone of joy", which is formed in our body in happy moments of life. A small piece of chocolate can calm and cheer you up. In order for chocolate to be well absorbed, doctors advise dissolving a piece of chocolate rather than chewing it.

If a pregnant woman has signs of fatigue or increased emotionality and excitability at work, then she should do a series of exercises that will help relieve stress.

With increased fatigue, a woman is recommended to sit straight and tilt her head back and stay in this position for 8-10 seconds, then she should lower her head to her chest and sit like this for 10-15 seconds. Then you should repeat everything several times.
If during the working day a pregnant woman notes increased fatigue, then she is recommended to sit straight, straighten her shoulders, slightly raise her chin. Hands should be lowered along the body. Then she should strain the muscles of her back, arms, neck and remain in this state for 10-15 seconds, then she should relax for 10-15 seconds and then repeat everything.
If the work is connected with a computer and the expectant mother notes that her eyes have become tired, then she is recommended to close her eyes for 5-7 seconds, then open and look at the bridge of her nose. Repeat this exercise 3-5 times.
If numbness of the lower extremities is noted, a pregnant woman should straighten her legs and pull her socks off. Then it is recommended to stand up and rise on your toes 8-10 times. Then you should sit down and relax your legs as much as possible.

Returning to work after having a baby

When planning your return to work after the baby is born, be as flexible as possible when you return to work. A firm commitment to return exactly six weeks after giving birth can be more burdensome than you want, and will make getting back to work more problematic than a rough date. Many mothers find that although they found the usual six weeks to be more than enough, when the time came they were physically or emotionally unprepared to return to work.

Generally speaking, delay returning to work as long as you can. At first, try to get out on a part-time basis. Most authorities in the field of newborn development agree that a child feels better if he communicates with his mother constantly, which was also confirmed by the women with whom I spoke. While part-time jobs are ideal, at least initially, they are often hard to come by. However, sometimes employers go as far as dividing the full time between two employees. This concept of divided work is now the newest and most favorable opportunity for the working mother. By dividing the work between them, two working mothers may agree to work half a day or two or three full days a week. Such employment is possible for teachers, secretaries, bank employees, clerks, nurses and others. Two workers in a split job will work on schedules that are consistent with their household chores and, in most cases, employers feel they get more out of two workers for one paycheck. One entrepreneur told me that he thought he got more productivity from two part-time employees than he could ever hope to get from one full-time employee.

Another approach to this problem may suit a mother who prefers to stay at home with her baby, but needs money. She undertakes to take care of the baby of another mother, who prefers to go to work. And who better than the mother of another baby to look after the baby of a working mother?

A woman who has made the decision to have a child often faces a dilemma. It is very difficult for many to decide what is a priority for them - career or personal life. Realizing that she is pregnant, the expectant mother begins to look for answers to questions: what to do with work, when to take maternity leave, how the authorities will react in case of frequent sick leave, and suddenly they will offer to quit, and so on. Pregnancy and work are quite compatible, and every woman should understand this.

Expectant mother and her work

Do you have good news, are you pregnant? Do not make hasty decisions, calm down and think things through. Initially, visit a gynecologist and consult about your current condition. If there is a risk of complications, it may well be that for a certain period of time you will have to forget about the workplace.

In the absence of health problems, you can safely continue to attend work, until the decree. Don't be afraid to tell employees about your situation. Hiding it is highly discouraged. As practice shows, many women try to “hide” their pregnancy for as long as possible.

They do so for various reasons. Some think that they will definitely be fired, others are afraid of deprivation of additional payments and bonuses, others do not tell anything, simply for superstitious reasons. All these fears are unfounded. On the contrary, they deprive the pregnant woman of all the privileges that her position brings and is rightfully due to her. The employer is not entitled to:

Dismiss this category of employees or reduce them.
Transfer them to easier work and at the same time reduce wages.
Refuse to shift the work schedule (this applies to the beginning and end of the work shift).

It is always worth being prepared for the fact that management can behave, to put it mildly, "unfairly." Ignoring the laws that protect expectant mothers, the bosses are looking for ways to get rid of such a “draughter”.

A woman is offered a woman to switch to a lower rate in order to save money, sent at "her own expense" and even offered to quit. Noticing this attitude towards yourself, you should not be afraid and despair. Learn your rights and stand up for them boldly. In case of violation of the law, the employer is liable.

How to report pregnancy?

Before you tell your boss important news, you need to prepare in advance. There is no guarantee that this message will be received positively. Do not be offended in case of such a reaction. Set yourself on a positive note, don't make a fuss, don't make threats, and try to discuss the matter calmly and kindly.

When planning to stay at work and then go on maternity leave, it is best to inform management in advance. After all, sooner or later it will have to be done. Don't wait until your "secret" becomes too obvious.

The boss will perceive silence as a conscious deception and the attitude towards you is unlikely to become positive. From the experience of such cases, it is clear that it is better to resolve all issues in a timely manner. It is irresponsible to bring the situation to distrust of oneself, thereby aggravating the situation in the team.

Do not think solely about your own benefit, because the boss must prepare for your departure. And this takes time. Timely awareness will allow you to pre-select a person for your place.

Restrictions while working

What rules should a pregnant woman follow at work during the period of bearing a baby?

Avoid excessive physical activity.
Eliminate situations that cause nervous stress and depression.
It is contraindicated to stay in one position for a long time (sit or stand), to come into contact with toxic and chemical substances in your activities.
It is necessary to take rest breaks during the work shift.
Work is shown no more than forty hours a week, and only in the daytime.

The workplace in the office should not be located near heaters, fans, in a draft, near an air conditioner, near printers, copiers and other equipment.

Documents for issuing a decree

Women officially registered under an employment contract should not worry. All payments are made by the organization in which you are registered at work. The rest of the expectant mothers will have to apply to the relevant structures, namely the department of labor and social protection of the population (UTSP) according to the registration of the place of residence or actual residence.

After making sure of your position, do not delay contacting the antenatal clinic, where you will be taken under medical control. Here they must issue a certificate, which is subsequently submitted to the HR department for registration of leave related to the bearing of a child and future childbirth. In addition, on the basis of this document, an allowance will be paid. When calculating it, the average earnings for 180 days of previous work are taken into account. Including bonus payments, travel allowances, surcharges and vacation pay are taken.

When deciding to reinstate at work, even if a sick leave was issued, maternity money is not paid. The law does not provide for parallel financing of salaries and benefits.

Persons engaged in entrepreneurial activities are paid by decree by the social insurance fund. Students and the unemployed apply for payments to the Social Security Administration.

The rights of working mothers

Basically, all women, being pregnant, are quite sure that they can master the performance of the volume of official duties. But in reality, they don't always succeed. If you understand that you are not coping, do not gloss over this fact. Talk to management about ways to reduce the amount of workload and eliminate the most difficult tasks to complete. You can ask for help if you do not have time to do something. Surely the boss won't mind.

The issue of the health of the mother and the unborn baby should come first. And overworking during the period of bearing a child is extremely dangerous. Therefore, even with a slight deterioration in condition, fatigue or the appearance of questionable symptoms, the best thing to do is to suspend work activities for a while.

A pregnant woman who is employed can:

Sick leave for an unlimited number of days.
Require management to reduce production standards or transfer to a site with lower loads (without changes in wages).
Raise the issue of reducing the length of the working day.
Do not work at night, in excess of established standards, on weekends and holidays.
Refuse travel.

The workplace is retained for the entire period of stay on postnatal sick leave and parental leave. The employer is not entitled, without this consent, to reduce or dismiss a pregnant woman. If the company is liquidated or declared bankrupt, the management is entitled to dismiss such an employee, and her subsequent employment is mandatory.

Working in a seated position

If your job requires constant sitting, then it would not be superfluous to know some rules:

You need to sit on a comfortable chair, with armrests and with a back.
The height of the chair is adjusted so that the feet rest completely on the floor, while the bent legs create a right angle.
It is necessary to take breaks from work every 45 minutes and get up from the workplace to walk and do exercises.
When you are sitting, do not cross your legs. In this position, blood circulation in the pelvis is disturbed.

During pregnancy, the load on the spine increases significantly as the uterus grows. Incorrect posture when sitting on a chair exacerbates the load, and also leads to pathological processes in the pelvic organs. Prolonged sitting, in the absence of breaks, contributes to the development of hemorrhoids.

Pregnancy and computer technology

Many expectant mothers are concerned about the safety of working at a computer during the period of bearing a child. If the job requires the use of a computer, will it harm the baby? After all, performing official functions, you can spend the whole day behind the monitor.

For many years, experts have been trying to determine how dangerous a computer is for a woman who is expecting a baby. Repeated studies were carried out, statistical records were kept of pregnant women, whose work is a constant presence at the computer, the percentage of pathologies in the development of the fetus and spontaneous abortions was determined. Fortunately, the connection between possible miscarriages and working at a computer has not been established.

It is worth noting that technology is improving at an incredible speed and these are no longer the machines that were produced several decades ago. Then, in order to protect yourself, it was necessary to use protective screens from electromagnetic radiation. Despite this, it cannot be said with certainty that prolonged exposure to a computer screen during pregnancy is absolutely safe.

You need to sit in front of the monitor in the correct position, with a straight back and at the optimal eye distance from the monitor. It is important to take breaks from work. Do not forget about dangers such as physical inactivity and blurred vision.

Pregnancy and labor code

Awareness in the issue of "pregnancy and work" helps ladies in the position in employment.

A woman is able to work the first six months of pregnancy. Very often, the employer refuses to enroll this category in a job. Thus, he saves himself from the problems associated with the payment of maternity money and vacation pay.
It is important to know that it is illegal in the absence of other good reasons.
You are required to be accepted into the state, and without appointing a probationary period.

Knowing clearly about your rights, you can easily develop a strategy for behavior in a team. The Labor Code is designed to protect a person, his rights to work and rest. No exception and women bearing children. This is not to say that absolutely everyone likes these laws. However, we must comply with them. You will need some courage in upholding positions. And remember, the law is on your side.

You can plan a decree from the seventh month of pregnancy. The doctor in charge of your pregnancy will issue a certificate. It will indicate the term of your position and the expected date of delivery. The duration of prenatal leave is 70 days, in case of multiple pregnancy it is extended to 84 days. After childbirth, according to the law, 70 days of sick leave are required if the birth went without complications. If there are problems with delivery, a woman is disabled for 86 days, and 110 if twins were born.

At the end of the period of prenatal and postnatal sick leave, an application is written for granting leave to care for the baby, until he reaches the age of three years. For the entire period, the organization retains the workplace for you. Also, the maternity period is counted in the insurance experience. You can return to work without waiting for the end of the three-year break. But, in such a situation, funding for benefits will be suspended.

Rest time

For women in an "interesting position" there are also benefits regarding vacations. Prior to going on sick leave before childbirth, the employer must not create obstacles and provide the employee with annual and additional leave without taking into account the period worked at the enterprise for the current year.

After all, after the sick leave, most often, women go on parental leave and can no longer use the opportunity to “walk away” the days laid down by law. This technique is widely practiced in government institutions.

Payments at the birth of children

According to the current legislation, both working women and those who are not employed are entitled to receive benefits. If a woman waiting for a baby is framed at work by an employment contract, then the allowance will be provided at her place of work. The basis for this is a disability certificate issued by a medical organization. The amount of payments is one hundred percent of wages. The rest of the fair sex applies for registration of assistance to the social security at registration.

To apply for a loan, you must provide the following documents:

Certificate of approved form from the hospital.
Application of the established form.
Certificate from the place of work, study, service.
Individual tax number, passport, work book.
A document from the employment center (if you are looking for a job and have submitted documents to the employment service for this).

You should apply for the allowance within six months from the end of the maternity leave.

About a year ago, I finally placed my 3-year-old daughter in a kindergarten, but I had to leave my job at the bank because of the constant sick leave for the child. So I started looking for a job with a more flexible schedule and a loyal employer. But the sudden news of my second pregnancy shocked me: as an unemployed person, I would be entitled to minimal payments, which are barely enough to pay utility bills. What can we say about the full content of both children?! Of course, there is a husband, but his salary is also not infinite.

All these thoughts prompted me to quickly look for a job: firstly, in order to save money from the salary for the dowry of the baby, and secondly, in order to receive at least some payments.

How I was looking for a job, being in a position

It was difficult to look for a job, because I needed a schedule up to 17.00 maximum in order to have time to pick up my daughter from the kindergarten. But I considered any suitable options where I hoped to meet the loyalty of the employer.

The process went according to the following scheme:

Search for suitable vacancies on various job sites.
Send resume to the employer's email address.
Telephone conversation with the employee responsible for the selection of personnel, and the appointment of an interview.
Interview.
Analysis of the proposed conditions and decision on whether this vacancy is suitable.

I chose absolutely any options that at least approximately corresponded to my qualifications, and sometimes even were significantly lower than it. I did not consider it shameful to consider even the vacancy of a seller or administrator.

My search continued for about a month. During this time, I went to several dozen and sent out about 50 resumes. Time passed, and I understood that in a few months it would be difficult for me to hide my position, so I urgently needed to get settled.

As a result, I found the best option for several jobs that allowed me to save money for the future and get official employment:

Administrator in dentistry with a schedule of 8.30-15.30 for 5 working days with official registration.
Remote home call center operator with a free schedule.

Taking my daughter to kindergarten in the morning, I ran to work. At the end of my shift, I picked up the child, put to bed and sat down for the second job until one in the morning. On weekends, parents sometimes took their daughter to their place, or my husband sat with her all day, and then I could still work additionally in a call center.

In this mode, I lived almost until the birth. It was difficult, given my difficult situation, but the money was needed more. Therefore, I tried to work every free minute, but still took care of myself, worrying about the health of the unborn baby.

Legislation of the Russian Federation on the rights of pregnant women

The Labor Code provides for a lot of benefits and concessions for pregnant women. But, unfortunately, it is not always possible to use them. However, all women in position need to be aware of their rights:

Right to employment. Art. 170 of the Labor Code prohibits an employer from refusing to employ a pregnant woman because of her pregnancy. Unfortunately, many shy away from a direct answer when they refuse, referring to the fact that another suitable candidate was found for the vacancy.
The right to keep a job under any circumstances. You can't fire a pregnant woman. The exception is the liquidation of an enterprise or employment while the main employee is on maternity leave. But even in these cases, the pregnant woman has special privileges: upon liquidation of the enterprise, the employer undertakes to find a new position for the employee and pays the average salary for 3 months before employment in a new job. In temporary work, instead of a worker on maternity leave, when she leaves, the pregnant woman must be provided with any suitable alternative until the onset of maternity leave.

The right to preferential working conditions. Pregnant employees should not be involved in work in hazardous industries, as well as those associated with heavy physical labor. In addition, they do not have the right to send a pregnant woman on a business trip, leave her to work overtime or go out on a holiday or day off. In some cases, it is even possible to exercise the right to an individual work schedule with part-time employment during the day.
Right to health care. Almost every pregnant woman regularly visits various doctors and undergoes the necessary examinations. Most often doctors work at the same time as most other people. If a woman provides a certificate stating that during working hours she was in a medical institution and underwent the required examination, then these hours will be counted as worked.
Right to maternity leave. At the 30th week of pregnancy, a woman has the right to apply for a sick leave and leave work for maternity leave. The sick leave period is usually 140 days (with a singleton pregnancy): 70 days before the preliminary date of delivery and 70 days after delivery. At the end of the sick leave, an officially employed woman has the right to take parental leave until the child reaches 3 years of age.

In fact, it is much easier for pregnant women to find work in the early stages, as long as it is imperceptible to others. At a later date, this is much more difficult to do, but it is possible, subject to certain conditions of the employer:

informal employment;
work under a civil law contract;
labor contract.

All options allow the employer to painlessly terminate the employment relationship by the time of childbirth, freeing up space for a new employee and eliminating additional personnel and accounting work.

The vacancy option depends on the qualifications and level of training of the applicant, but you can always get a job on the simplest and most popular vacancies:

Sales Manager;
administrator;
salesman;
dispatcher;
secretary or personal assistant;
clerk.

Where should a pregnant woman not look for work?

When looking for a job, it is better to avoid a number of vacancies right away so as not to waste extra time on them.

Production and work associated with hard physical labor. Almost any future mother cares about the health of the unborn baby and does not want to harm him. Therefore, you should immediately exclude work associated with physical exertion (cleaning lady, maid, janitor), as well as any work associated with hazardous substances (painter, operators in industrial workshops, laboratory assistant).
Traveling work. Professions such as supervisor, real estate agent, driver are associated with constant travel, unstable schedules and increased fatigue, which can pose a threat to a pregnant woman and her child.
Work in leadership positions. In addition to the fact that the responsible position of the head provides for frequent work in stressful situations, he is required to constantly monitor his unit.

It often happens that a woman in a position cannot find a suitable job or receives constant refusals from employers. You should not despair, because for such cases, you can consider the option of various part-time jobs.

Official employment in this case is excluded, but such employment will allow you to save a certain amount of money with a free schedule:

Freelance (programming, design and layout, copywriting, translations, writing term papers and theses).
Needlework. If the expectant mother is fond of some kind of hand-made, then you can organize the sale of your own products. To do this, you can arrange the most elementary online store or group on social networks.
Own business. Before the birth of a child, you can start your own small business, which will be interesting and not require a lot of expenses. And a great many ideas for a start-up from scratch can be found on the Internet absolutely free.
. Through social networks, you can collect orders for various things to buy from wholesalers, earning commission.
Babysitting. It will be useful for a future mother to learn as much as possible about children, which can be realized by working part-time as a nanny.

Finding a job for a pregnant woman is not an easy task. But if the financial situation is not the most disastrous, and a suitable job has not been found, but there is a spouse or parents who will take over the financial support of the expectant mother and child, then you can receive some benefit from permanently staying at home. After all, a housewife is also a profession that allows you not to earn, but to save a significant amount of money by looking for cheaper goods and products than in a nearby supermarket, and cooking homemade food, excluding spending on canteens and cafes.

Rights of pregnant women related to employment

The law says that if a pregnant woman wants to get a job, she does not have the right to be denied employment because of pregnancy. For such an act, the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation provides for criminal liability in the form of a fine or compulsory work. Refusal to hire is possible only if the business qualities, level of education and qualifications of the applicant do not meet the requirements.

The applicant for the position may even demand that he be given a written detailed answer about the reasons for the refusal to hire (such a refusal can be appealed in court). True, at present, these norms of the law are rarely applied in practice, since when refusing to hire a pregnant woman, the employer tries to justify the refusal by the woman’s poor business qualities or simply declares that the place has already been taken.

If a pregnant woman managed to get a job, then she cannot be given a probationary period to test her professional qualities.

It should also be noted that when applying for a new job, a woman is not required to report her pregnancy, and if an employee hid this fact during employment, the manager does not have the right to hold her accountable for this. The exception is those cases when, before applying for a job, it was required to pass a medical examination, and the woman presented fake documents indicating the absence of pregnancy.

What does easy work mean for pregnant women

Pregnant employees need work relief, so the Labor Code establishes that every pregnant woman has the right to switch to work on a reduced schedule. The law does not specify the exact number of working hours to which the time for the expectant mother should be reduced, so the issue is resolved by agreement with the employer. At the same time, it is important to know that with such a mode of work, wages will be reduced accordingly.

It is also important to remember that an employee who is expecting a baby should not be involved in work:

at night (from 22 to 6 hours);
overtime;
on weekends;
on holidays that are non-working days.

In addition, the law prohibits sending pregnant women on business trips. And in all these cases, the exit of a pregnant employee to work is unacceptable even with her consent.

The current sanitary rules (SanPiN) also provide for other restrictions on the working conditions of pregnant women. So, they can't work:

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in basements;
in a draft;
in conditions of wet clothes and shoes;
under the influence of harmful production factors;
in other adverse conditions provided for by SanPiN.

If the work is associated with the constant lifting of weights, then the mass of the transported load cannot be more than 1.25 kg, and when alternating the lifting of the load with other work - more than 2.5 kg.

In cases where the work performed by a woman is contraindicated during pregnancy, she should be transferred to another job suitable for her. In addition, the need to reduce the rate of production or provide other work may be provided for by a medical opinion. When transferring to another job, the average salary at the previous place of work is maintained.

The rights of pregnant women to leave

As a general rule, an employee can receive annual leave with vacation pay after he has worked for six months at this place of work. For pregnant women, a preferential rule has been established: regardless of the length of service, they can go on annual leave before going on maternity leave or immediately after the end of maternity leave.

The law enshrines another important right of a pregnant woman at work regarding the provision of leave: a pregnant employee cannot be prematurely recalled from leave even with her consent.

With regard to maternity leave (which is called maternity leave in the law), it is granted for a period of 30 weeks of pregnancy. If the birth of 2 or more children is expected, then the woman goes on maternity leave 2 weeks earlier. The duration of the leave depends on the number of children and the severity of the course of childbirth and ranges from 140 to 194 days. During this leave, a benefit in the amount of 100% of average earnings is due, which is paid immediately for the entire period of the decree.

In addition to going on vacation, pregnant women have another legal reason to be temporarily absent from the workplace. So, if the period of absence from work in connection with a visit to the clinic (for testing and passing specialists), then it should be paid in the amount of average earnings. In this case, the woman should present evidence of absence from work precisely for this reason (for example, a ticket to the doctor). Therefore, in order to undergo a mandatory medical examination, pregnant women do not need to take a vacation at their own expense.

Can a pregnant woman be fired?

An employer is not entitled to terminate an employment contract with a pregnant woman on its own initiative. Even if she is negligent in the performance of her official duties, starts to be late for work, or does not show up for a shift at all without good reason - in all these cases she is threatened, at most, with a reprimand. The only acceptable grounds for dismissal are the liquidation of the organization (but not downsizing!) or the termination of activities by the employer in the status of an individual entrepreneur.

The situation is more complicated if the woman works on a fixed-term contract and the period of its validity expires during pregnancy. But even in such a situation, as a general rule, the manager should not fire a pregnant employee. The term of the contract with her is extended until the end of pregnancy. To do this, a woman needs:

submit an application to the manager for the extension of the employment contract;
attach to it a medical certificate of pregnancy obtained in the antenatal clinic.

On the basis of these documents, an agreement is concluded with the woman on the extension of the employment relationship until the end of the pregnancy. After the birth of a child (or at the end of the pregnancy with an abortion or miscarriage), the employer has the right to terminate the contract with the employee. To exercise this right, he is given a one-week period from the day when he learned (or should have known) about the end of the pregnancy.

It is important to emphasize that the employer has no obligation to renew a fixed-term contract if it expires after the birth of the child. This moment should be taken into account by women working on a fixed-term contract when planning pregnancy.

The law allows the dismissal of a future mother who works under a fixed-term contract only if a number of conditions are met:

the contract is executed for the period of absence of the main employee, and this employee goes to work;
there is no way to transfer a woman to another position (even a lower paid one);
the possibility of transfer is available, but the employee does not give consent to this.

Thus, we can conclude that the rights of pregnant women are spelled out in sufficient detail in the law. At the same time, pregnant women working under a fixed-term labor contract are protected by law to the least extent, compared with the rest.

Maria Sokolova

Reading time: 9 minutes

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Today, finding a good job, and also a highly paid one, is very difficult. And if a woman is pregnant, then this task is almost impossible. Indeed, many employers do not really want to accept an employee who will have to look for a replacement in a few months. But still, a pregnant woman should try her luck, because now she should think not only about herself, but also about the future baby.

Why should a pregnant woman work?

The birth of a baby and all the upcoming preparations for this happy moment require significant financial resources. costs. In addition, after giving birth, a woman cannot engage in full-fledged labor activity for several months or even several years, which means that the family budget will suffer serious losses.

Of course, a married expectant mother can count on her husband's help, but it will be much more difficult. Therefore, many women try to secure their near future financially to the maximum.

Pregnant women looking for a job are motivated by the fact that they need to earn extra money before the baby is born, and due to this they have the right to receive monthly payments from the employer.

The main benefits that a working pregnant woman is entitled to:

Thus, a pregnant unemployed woman is deprived of some benefits and does not receive the four benefits listed above.

How to get a job for a future mother - problem solving

If you find out that you will have a baby, but you do not have a permanent job, it does not matter. A pregnant woman will get a job quite affordably. Of course, many employers are not eager to hire a woman in position, because in a few months she will need to look for a replacement, pay benefits, etc.

But there is a way out of this situation. In the early stages, pregnancy is not very noticeable, so you need to find a job as soon as possible.

While looking for a job, many women face various problems.

We list the main ones and find ways to solve them:

What positions can a pregnant woman really get?

The ideal employer for a pregnant woman is a state or commercial structure that offers a complete social package. Let the proposed position be not entirely in your specialty, but in 30 weeks you will be able to go on maternity leave without any problems, and you are guaranteed to receive all the payments due to you.

Best for pregnant woman calm work that does not require nervous and physical stress is suitable. Such vacancies can be found in the office, archives, libraries, kindergarten, some areas of accounting.

You can try to get a job in a commercial structure. But you should not hide your “interesting position” from a potential employer for too long, so that later it would not be an unpleasant surprise for him. Discuss this situation with a potential manager and talk about your advantages in comparison with other candidates. With this approach, the likelihood that you will get the desired position increases. In addition, in some specialties it is possible to work remotely. And if you perform well before maternity leave, your employer may agree that you would continue to perform your functional duties at home.

The most inappropriate same jobs for pregnant women are a bank employee and a postal operator, since here it is necessary to have endurance and peace of mind in order to resolve possible conflicts with customers.

Is it worth it to become a pregnant woman for the sake of payments?

If your search has not been successful, contact the employment center for help. There you will be offered suitable vacancies. And if there are none, then they will be registered as unemployed.

By registering with the employment center, you will receive unemployment benefits, the minimum amount of which is 890 rubles, and the maximum - 4 900 rubles. You will receive these payments until your maternity leave.

But remember that a woman who is registered for unemployment is not entitled to receive maternity benefits, the employment center does not make such payments. In addition, after you bring a certificate of incapacity to work to an employee of the labor exchange, you will no longer receive unemployment benefits. These payments will be resumed only when you are ready to look for work again and start working.

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