Talk To Me: Getting less responsibility at work since I announced my pregnancy

Psychologist Caroline Martin is here to answer your questions on whatever issues you are dealing with in life, from work pressure and stress to loneliness and grief

When I told my boss, she was cool and barely said congratulations.

I got pregnant a year after having my first baby. When I told my boss, she was cool and barely said congratulations. I am due to take my second maternity leave in March, but already I’ve noticed I’m being given less responsibility, and it feels like I’m being punished. What do you suggest?

Several key pieces of legislation govern pregnancy and work-related implications, and I would advise you to refer to these in the first instance. They include The Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, The Pregnancy Regulations 2007 and The Maternity Protection Act 1994 (revised in 2020).