Rights and protection of pregnant students and workers at the University
Hazardous, strenuous and unhealthy tasks are restricted from the beginning of pregnancy until 7/12 months after giving birth. These include research in chemistry, biochemistry, biology laboratories, medical or veterinary clinics, workshops or construction sites with exposure to noise and vibration, as well as underwater work.
For this reason, if you are a student or worker performing hazardous or at-risk tasks at the University, notifying your Head of structure of your pregnancy is crucial. In the event of exposure to ionising radiation, this is actually mandatory.
Please consider disclosing your pregnancy even though you do not perform hazardous tasks
At the University of Bologna, access to laboratories and premises where hazardous and harmful chemical, physical and biological agents are used is restricted for pregnant students and workers until seven months after giving birth.
Legislative Decree no. 151 dated 26/03/2001
Legislative Decree 81/2008
If you are exposed to ionising radiation risk, you must notify your Head of structure of your pregnancy. Submit a pregnancy medical certificate indicating the estimated delivery date.
Although by law you are only required to notify your pregnancy if you are exposed to radiation, it is recommended that all pregnant workers disclose their pregnancy to their Head of structure as soon as possible to allow for risk assessment, by submitting a pregnancy medical certificate indicating the estimated delivery date.
Legislative Decree 151/2001, Article 8, paragraph 2
Your Head of structure will check for available risk-free alternative jobs, such as teaching, research or support activities.
With reference to certain risks (biological and chemical risk, radioisotopes, night shifts, etc.), alternative work should continue for seven months after giving birth.
The University Risk Assessment Document for the Protection of Pregnant Women provides guidance to your Head of structure in looking for alternative work. In the event of doubts or various valid options available for the new tasks to be assigned, the Head may turn to the Occupational Health Physician and/or the Prevention and Protection Service for jointly assessing whether the new tasks are appropriate.
If the Head of the structure finds that no pregnancy-compatible tasks are available, they must inform the competent Provincial Labour Directorate that it is not possible to find an alternative position for the worker, at which point she will go on early leave of absence for work at risk.
Once you have found an alternative, risk-free position that does not involve using hazardous and harmful agents (and unless complications of pregnancy occur), you can continue working until your 7th month of pregnancy.
The law actually provides for compulsory maternity leave, i.e. compulsory abstention from work for 2 months before and 3 months after giving birth.
From the sixth month of pregnancy until the time of compulsory abstention from work, or until childbirth, the University offers the possibility of working remotely up to 5 days a week as a dedicated welfare measure for pregnant workers. The request and number of days must be agreed in advance with your Head of structure and notified via email to the Flexible Work Office, which will acknowledge your request.
More information is available on the University Intranet (use your institutional credentials to log in).
Even if you are not exposed to any risks or hazards and you are not required to do so by law, your employer should be aware of your pregnancy in order to protect you as a working mother. For this reason, it is recommended that you disclose your pregnancy to your Head of structure as soon as possible by submitting a pregnancy medical certificate indicating the estimated delivery date.
If your position is risk-free and does not involve using hazardous and harmful agents (and unless complications of pregnancy occur), you can continue working until your 7th month of pregnancy. The law actually provides for compulsory maternity leave, i.e. compulsory abstention from work for 2 months before and 3 months after giving birth.
From the sixth month of pregnancy until the time of compulsory abstention from work, or until childbirth, the University offers the possibility of working remotely up to 5 days a week as a dedicated welfare measure for pregnant workers. The request and number of days must be agreed in advance with your Head of structure and notified via email to the Flexible Work Office, which will acknowledge your request.
More information is available on the University Intranet (use your institutional credentials to log in).
Flexible maternity leave (postponement of compulsory abstention) is the possibility of taking your compulsory time off work in a flexible way. There are three options:
To apply for flexible maternity leave:
The Occupational Health Physician will or will not grant your request on the basis of parameters suggested by the Local Health Authority, i.e. considering commuting (distance, travel time, number and type of transportation, route), presence of fixed or narrow workstations, impossibility, as a display screen equipment user (as defined by Legislative Decree 81/08), to reduce screen time, etc.
Available for download on the INAIL website
A special area for moms at the University of Bologna