A bag of rights and benefits you might be entitled to when you are pregnant

You have the right to take reasonable time off for your antenatal appointments, including time needed to travel to your clinic or GP, without loss of pay.

You should let your employer know when you need time off. For appointments after the first one, your employer can ask to see your appointment card and a certificate stating that you are pregnant.

Antenatal care includes parentcraft and relaxation classes. You may need a letter to show your employer from your GP or midwife, saying that these classes are part of your antenatal care.

Health and safety rights

If you are pregnant, have recently given birth or are breastfeeding, your employer must make sure that the kind of work you do and your working conditions will not put your, or your baby's, health at risk. To get the full benefit of this legal protection you must notify your employer in writing that you are pregnant or have recently given birth or are breastfeeding. Your employer must:

• carry out a risk assessment at your workplace and do all that is reasonable to remove or reduce the risks found
• if there are still risks, alter your working conditions or hours of work to remove the risk
• if this is not possible or would not avoid the risk, your employer must offer you a suitable alternative job
• if this is not possible your employer must suspend you on full pay for as long as is necessary to avoid the risks

If you do night work and your doctor advises that you should stop for health and safety reasons, you have the right to transfer to day work or, if that is not possible, to be suspended on full pay. You must provide a medical certificate.

Dismissal or unfair treatment

It is against the law for your employer to treat you unfairly, dismiss you or select you for redundancy for any reason connected with pregnancy, childbirth or maternity leave. If you are dismissed while you are pregnant or during your maternity leave, your employer must give you a written statement of the reasons.

If you are dismissed or treated unfairly, you must put in your claim to the Employment Tribunal within three months. Any claim will probably include a claim for compensation for sex discrimination.

Redundancy

You have special rights if you are made redundant whilst on maternity leave. Call Working Families helpline on 0800 013 0313 or see www.workingfamilies.org.uk

Breastfeeding

Health and safety rights described above also apply to women who are breastfeeding.

Part-time work

Parents of children under six (or disabled children under 18) have the right to ask to work part-time, flexible or reduced hours. Your employer can only refuse if there is good business reason why your job could not be done in this way. There are additional rights under the Sex Discrimination Act. Working Families has an online guide to flexible working at www.workingfamilies.org.uk, or call our helpline on 0800 013 0313.

Parental leave and time off for dependants

The parents of children under 5 are entitled to take up to 13 weeks' unpaid leave per parent per child, up until the child's 5th birthday. This leave is also available for parents who adopt a child. If the child receives Disability Living Allowance the right is to 18 weeks before the child is 18. Only four weeks may be taken in a year, unless your employer agrees otherwise.

Paternity leave

Working fathers are now entitled to two weeks paid leave around the birth of a baby. They'll get £112.75 per week and adoptive parents will also qualify for paid leave.

Time off for dependants

Every worker is entitled to unpaid leave to care for a dependant who falls ill, gives birth or is injured. The leave can also be used if there is a sudden problem with arrangements for care of the dependant (e.g. if your childminder falls ill).

Benefits

All pregnant women and new mothers are entitled to free prescriptions and free NHS dental care. Once your baby is born you will also be entitled to claim Child Benefit. Working Tax Credits is to top up the incomes of working parents. The amount you get depends on how much you earn and on how many children you have.

Sickness

You have special rights if sick during pregnancy, maternity leave and on return to work. For more information, call Working Families on 0800 013 0313.

Job interviews

You do not have to tell a future employer you are pregnant when you go for a job interview. The fact that you are pregnant should not have any bearing on whether you are the right person for the job.

Need More Help?

If you need more detailed information on any of the topics mentioned here, please call Working Families helpline on 0800 013 0313, or see www.workingfamilies.org.uk