Touchy Subject: Pregnant Associates

Joined: 17 Mar 2005 Posts: 21 Location: LOWESLAND

On the other site (forgive me administrators) there was a topic about equal pay for both male and female employees. I'm from the generation that took care of our females. We were courtious and did our best to releave any strenous work from our pregnant co-workers. Guess it was male Chavinism (alright I can't spell but get over it).

We have had mabe in the last 5 years 4 of our coworkers pregnant. They all did well, working numerous hours, dealing with whatever pressure dealt, and delivered a very happy and healthy child.

We have one now pregnant. Happens to be a department manager. Can't work such and such hours (funny how the other employees could) can't lift more than 5 pounds. Can't stand more than 1 hour. Excuse me. She had maybe 15 minutes of pleasure and I'm gonna suffer 9 months of hell. WRONG. If you can't do your job, then step down to cashier (with a stool) or take a LOA until that child is born.

It is WOMEN like this that statistics look at and say a woman cannot and will not make the same pay as men. No men cannot have children (as far as carrying them) but a woman cannot be equal if in her 1st or 2nd trimester (unless it is life and death) cannot or will not do her job.

I've had fellow associates on AMBULANCE duty beg to continue doing their job until the OBGYN doctor said no.

Pregnancy is natural. Unfortunetly the women of today cannot handle it without special consideration. Can a husband (employee) take a mediacal leave of absence because his wife delivered and he needs to be home. NOT....... Therefore, there is no EQUALITY.

Give me hell, I expect it but do you want to increase your work load because your department manager is pregnant?

Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 1

I recently just quit Lowes to be home with my family...I was employeed just about 8 years..but I have had three children working for Lowes and I think this matter has to do with the individual..with person with the first I was LP and I worked 48 hours up to the day I had him ..40 hours and 35 with the others. It seemed like we were always short handed so I had to work my butt off like the rest of the employees. No extra special previlidges. I had a Dr note but I like to work and I had to be there for my department. I was cust serv and a Head Cashier with the other two. No, I could not lift as much as some of the other employees..BUT 5 pounds! Give me a break...around 30 is more like it. I did carts and whatever I could. Stood ALL shift, no extra breaks! I do think some pregnant people milk the system! The are not pulling the wool over anyones eyes. But with a DR note that says those requirements, There is not much the store can do. I am sorry the problem Bear. I hope things get better after the baby is born..but then there will be 6 to 8 weeks of recovery and maybe more:) Good Luck!

Joined: 19 Mar 2005 Posts: 9

GIVE THEM HELL BEAR. It pisses me off for people to use stuff like that to their advantage... Thumbs Up

Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 5:18 am Post subject:

Joined: 05 Mar 2005 Posts: 110 Location: illinois

I know what you mean about taking advantage. We have had several pregnancies at our store. Three of them were lazy anyway and then they gave the excuse of having a baby to be even more lazy. One of our ASM is about to pop she is so big. We are all happy for her. Two years ago she became pregnant shortly after her second marriage, she has a child, he does not. We were all so happy for her. She never stopped doing what she always did and pitched in where ever needed. She tried to pick up a pressure washer and something happened and she lost the baby. Now with this pregnancy she still tried to do stuff that she should not have done, we all verbally scolded her and then helped out. She is now about two weeks to due date and we are happy. She is a great boss and will not stop helping us out. She plans to be back ASAP. She would get mad at the others who were pregnant and use the excuse, "I'm preganant" Her answer, "bulls---, do your job or stay home."

I had two kids, I worked, moved furniture, lifted everything(had a peach..LOL of a husband). I did not having a baby stop me from doing anything. Guess that was the tom boy in me. Because by God just because I have been blessed to be able to bring a life into this world doesn't mean I should stop life. Women have been having babies since time began. The pioneer women still had kids and worked the fields. If they could so can any woman. The ones who say they can't were lazy to begin with and if they can't handle the stress and pregnancy they sure as hell are not going to be able to handle stress and the kid, because kids are hard work. If I would have known then what I know now about kids, I would have had it sewn shut. My kids are good kids now, but man were they a struggle to get where they are in life now.

Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 22

I think they should still come in if they want to but they shouldn't do physical demanding stuff. If we have people with bad knees not climb ladders this should be the same.

Joined: 05 Mar 2005 Posts: 110 Location: illinois

I have bad knees(broke my knee cap sometime in my life, at least that is what the doctor told me), I have had arthritis since I was a child, I climb ladders, use to use a picker(let my license laps). We have one woman who will not use a tall ladder or a picker because she is afraid of heights. I am terrified of heights but I did it because it was part of the job. I like working at Lowes and if it is part of your job and you can't do the job, others suffer because they have to do your work. Become a cashier if you can't do the job on the floor. Pregnancy is not an illness and be cautious but still do your job. I don't lift things that I know will cause damage to me, and I can lift stuff pretty heavy. Thankfully I don't have to do it very often, except at home. It may sound like I am cruel but I had to do the work of two when I was in the department with the woman who said she was afraid of heights and yes it has made me bitter against those who can't/won't do what is required of the position they hold. If it is against doctors orders then that is different, but the doctors orders should be in the persons file, otherwise they will, at least with me, do their job.

Joined: 07 Mar 2005 Posts: 22

We had this fat ass before as a floor salesman....he refused to climb a ladder because the weight capsity was more than he weighed...he signed as part of the concept of getting paid that he could so they demoted him to a loader and he quit after a half week.

Then again he thought he could just hop on a forklift without being trained (he thought he was at his last job)

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