If you telework/work from home while pregnant...

[Anonymous]

I am thinking about asking my boss to work from home 2 days a week because the commute in/back is kicking my butt, plus I'd much rather use my lunch hour to power nap than eat leisurely. I probably wouldn't add the power napping part into my rationale. I am an attorney who has a lot of email/conference call interaction with clients, but don't really have a need to schedule a lot of in-person meetings and don't have many court appearances at all. There are others in the office who work from home, but I am not sure what reason(s) they provided for needing this accommodation. I could use a few pointers when I go to ask my supervisor about this arrangement.

If you have worked from home as a result of your pregnancy, were you working from home before pregnancy? How many days a week? What rationale did you use to request to work from home? Any tips are appreciated.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Forgot to mention that I am 30 weeks pregnant and anemic (which adds to the tired factor)

[Anonymous]

I worked from home a day or two per week, but my federal agency has telework policies in place. In the weeks before I delivered, I teleworked full time until the day before i delivered. My boss didn't want me going into labor while I was in the office. I would basically just say that I could get more work done if I didn't have to deal with the commute, and that I could be just as effective at home as in the office.

[Anonymous]

I am 28 weeks and I work from home two days a week. Actually my boss was the one who suggested it. She said that basically it was easier for me to not have to deal with the commute and I would get more done from the comfort of my home. Definitely offer to be flexible as to meetings and appearances. I am also an attorney and most of my work is either motion practice or appellate. It has made a real difference in how I feel. I strongly encourage you to speak with your boss.

[Anonymous]

Focus on the anemia, and actually in that context I think the nap is totally reasonable. Otherwise you are just like millions of other pregnant women, most of whom manage to get through their pregnancies without special accommodations.

[Anonymous]

I'm 26 weeks with twins and work from home 2 days a week. My boss was very supportive and actually suggested it in the first place. I agree with the PP about focusing on the anemia and highlight the efficiency gained (I'm actually more productive on my telework days because I'm not so exhausted). Would your dr be willing to write a note recommending this? That might help.

[Anonymous]

Any details on your boss that might be helpful? woman with kids? etc. I think more than anything I think you need to make a case for why it's better for her and the office- you'll be more productive, you will be willing to come in if she needs you, you could be flexible on which day of the week it is etc - I personally think at 30 weeks you've done a great job keeping it on-site full time as it is and you should be able to work out 2 days a week at home!!

[Anonymous]

OP here. My boss is male and has two kids. Unfortunately, there aren't many moms in my office who have blazed the trail for me, so I will be a trailblazer of sorts with trying to make these late pregnancy and early motherhood phases workable.

[Anonymous]

Focus on the medical aspect of it. At 36 weeks I was just told by my OB (and was given a letter) basically saying that I'm doing too much, BP is up slightly, and in order to 'continue working until delivery' I need to work from home 1 day a week and leave by 4:30 every day. My boss flat out asked if I was having symptoms that required it and I just said my OB insisted (which she did; I tried to fight it and she said no way).

[hippie_mama]

I worked from home one day a week before I got pregnant, now I'm doing 1-2, depending on the week.

It's important to emphasize that while you work from home, you are just as available and can be reached via phone and email. At my office everyone uses IM and that's easy too.

[Anonymous]

I work from home 2x a week before I was pregnant. When I was in my final weeks of my due date, my manager actually wants me to work from home 100% because they are afraid my water may break and go into labor while in the office...

[Anonymous]

I am 30 weeks pregnant, and although my boss WFH twice a week and comes and goes the other days as she pleases, I am not "allowed" to WFH. I checked with HR and there's not a Telecommuting policy in place, it's up to the discretion of your manager. The worst is that she is a woman, and when I had a formal conversation with her about this, she told me that it was none of my business as to why she worked from home, that I am to be in the office for "coverage" although that is a bunch of crap, as I am not involved with clients or have a customer facing job. She then went on to tell me that she worked all through her pregnancy until the day before she delivered. Good for her.

It makes absolutely no sense to me, I know of many people in our office who can work from home and are not pregnant. Not that being pregnant is an excuse, but sitting kills my lower back, and my legs and feet swell from sitting and the blood rushing to my extremeties. Everything I can do in my cubicle can be done from home, we have office communicator and not to mention how much it would help my 1 hr commute/toll cost.

Not sure where I'm going with this, I guess I just want to vent. Am I being unreasonable to think this way?

[Anonymous]

Power nap? Are you really an attorney? If so, you would know enough to contact the others who work from home in your office, duh.

[Anonymous]

"not to mention how much it would help my 1 hr commute/toll cost. "

Employers don't care about those things.

[Anonymous]

OP, I was a 'trailblazer' - the first pregnant professional woman - in the small DC office of a huge international company in a male-dominated industry when I was pregnant with my first child seven years ago. I tried to telework at 37 weeks and they freaked. Absolutely rejected it and forced me to take STD leave early, then forbid me from doing any work while I was on leave in an overly legalistic interpretation of STD policies. (I was actually told that I would be fired if I sent a single work-related email.) It cost me two weeks of paid leave after my baby was born, meant I basically had to abandon half-finished projects just because I was too huge to maneuver my commute comfortably, and the whole episode contributed to my decision to leave the job while I was on maternity leave. I'm told by friends that they have since become much more relaxed about working from home during the last few weeks. I'm passing along my story not to be discouraging - I think technological advancements in the past 7 years have made it much more common irrespective of pregnancy - but just to suggest you consider how you will respond if they do say no and how it can impact how much paid time off you have during the maternity leave. Good luck!!