Telework during late pregnancy (federal government)

[Anonymous]

Have any federal employees received approval to work from home in any capacity recently? Like within the last month? I’ve heard OPM sent something around cracking down on telework as a reasonable accommodation. I had just submitted a request for very limited telework for specific, discrete, obviously temporary pregnancy issues. Request was supported with a full page doctor note. It’s been two weeks and I haven’t heard anything and all they are saying is they don’t need more information from me.

Also, if anyone’s agency has adopted any sort of clear approach to teleworking during pregnancy, especially after 36 weeks, I would love to hear it. Seems like they just want my water to break at work. From my vantage point it seems like they are pushing the bounds of the pregnancy workers protection act.

I get that this administration just wants me to trad wife my life away so we can skip those jokes. I’d just like to not keep wasting sick leave that I’m literally working through anyways.

[Anonymous]

I would ask on Reddit on the Fednews sub. I have read a lot of requests for TW for pregnant workers being approved.

[Anonymous]

Our agency distinguishes between reasonable accommodation and medical telework. Pregnancy is one of the things that qualifies as med telework but usually onky in the last 3 months as med telework for us is capped at 3 months. This wouldn’t go to our reasonable accommodation office at all- which is basically a black hole right now.

[Anonymous]

Serious question what is the big deal is you go to work.

I used to have car service vouchers in my desk for limo service, we had security who was training, my company was near a hospital.

We had plenty of women over the years go into labor at work. Better than at home by your self or with kids with no one to watch.

Between heart attacks, births, accidents, even a shooting once we do it all time. We had 6,000 staff in building so almost weekly,

Heck I tripped once on curb got a estangled hernia and they got me into hospital asap at lunch time. Had HR coordinate medical benefits, security get me over there. Was not bad at all. Better than if I was home alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question what is the big deal is you go to work.

I used to have car service vouchers in my desk for limo service, we had security who was training, my company was near a hospital.

We had plenty of women over the years go into labor at work. Better than at home by your self or with kids with no one to watch.

Between heart attacks, births, accidents, even a shooting once we do it all time. We had 6,000 staff in building so almost weekly,

Heck I tripped once on curb got a estangled hernia and they got me into hospital asap at lunch time. Had HR coordinate medical benefits, security get me over there. Was not bad at all. Better than if I was home alone.

Not the right thread for this J1, J2. J3 guy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would ask on Reddit on the Fednews sub. I have read a lot of requests for TW for pregnant workers being approved.

+1 this subreddit has good info re the different laws that cover pregnancy accommodations, which are often different than the ADA.

[Anonymous]

Why can't you go to work?

[Anonymous]

A colleague submitted her request for RA for pregnancy (sometime in 2nd trimester) and never heard back. The baby is already born and she never heard back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Serious question what is the big deal is you go to work.

I used to have car service vouchers in my desk for limo service, we had security who was training, my company was near a hospital.

We had plenty of women over the years go into labor at work. Better than at home by your self or with kids with no one to watch.

Between heart attacks, births, accidents, even a shooting once we do it all time. We had 6,000 staff in building so almost weekly,

Heck I tripped once on curb got a estangled hernia and they got me into hospital asap at lunch time. Had HR coordinate medical benefits, security get me over there. Was not bad at all. Better than if I was home alone.

Not the right thread for this J1, J2. J3 guy.

I did work in office right up to delivery date with two of my three kids because that was before telework was so easy, so clearly it's possible...but honestly, if you've had your water break....it is gross. It leaks all over for an extended period of time. I really don't know how you'd do it, because no uber is going to let you in when you are gushing liquid from between your legs. The one time it happened to me (at home), my husband drove me, but it required a large number of towels plus a garbage bag to keep from soaking our car upholstery and I was walking into the hospital holding a towel between my legs to catch the liquid that was still coming out well over an hour later. I had a lot of paranoia with my third that it would happen at work.

Good luck, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Serious question what is the big deal is you go to work.

I used to have car service vouchers in my desk for limo service, we had security who was training, my company was near a hospital.

We had plenty of women over the years go into labor at work. Better than at home by your self or with kids with no one to watch.

Between heart attacks, births, accidents, even a shooting once we do it all time. We had 6,000 staff in building so almost weekly,

Heck I tripped once on curb got a estangled hernia and they got me into hospital asap at lunch time. Had HR coordinate medical benefits, security get me over there. Was not bad at all. Better than if I was home alone.

What is the big deal if someone teleworks for a few weeks?

My nonprofit is like this like, omg, you can't telework outside of assigned telework days!!! What is the big deal? I'm asking for a one- or two-day accomodation bc I have a sinus infection, not asking to move to Europe and be fully remote for the rest of my career.

Good grief. Inflexible employers are just as bad as employees who take advantage.

[Anonymous]

I'm sure Karoline Leavitt will be stepping back for a bit before her baby is born. Katie Miller will likely pause her shitty podcast and Usha Vance will stop whatever minimal work she does while leaching off the taxpayer teat. But yeah, god forbid a fed telework a few extra days a week for less than a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A colleague submitted her request for RA for pregnancy (sometime in 2nd trimester) and never heard back. The baby is already born and she never heard back.

OP this doesn't sound promising.
Since you didn't get a "no" can you just pick a day and let everyone know you are wfh from that point on?
If there are questions (much later) you can point to your paperwork.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure Karoline Leavitt will be stepping back for a bit before her baby is born. Katie Miller will likely pause her shitty podcast and Usha Vance will stop whatever minimal work she does while leaching off the taxpayer teat. But yeah, god forbid a fed telework a few extra days a week for less than a month.

Interesting how the blonde white lady who’s part of the govt and getting paid from our taxes doesn’t get a qualifier about being a leech. Let me guess, you’re a staunch liberal and horrified by ICE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A colleague submitted her request for RA for pregnancy (sometime in 2nd trimester) and never heard back. The baby is already born and she never heard back.

My colleague heard back just before her son turned six months. Something like “we assume you won’t be needing this at this time.”

[Anonymous]

Pregnancy isn't a disability.