I work at an Animal Hospital and one of our kennel workers is 4 1/2 months pregnant. She has made it clear that she cannot work in our cat room, with bleach, anestesia, xray or mitaban dip. She has also stated she cannot physically stand for her whole 8 hour shift. We do not have a receptionist position available at this time and we are having to pull technicians away from their duties to do hers which is making to operations of the clinic fall behiind. Any advice? She is a good worker but she cannot perform her duties at this time and we really have no other place for her?????

Has she provided medical documentation verifying all these restrictions? If not, that's your first step.

How many employees work at the animal hospital?

There are 30 employeesl.

Then she's not entitled to any statutory leave.

If she cannot perform the required job duties, then you have several options: (1) terminate her employment, (2) put her on unpaid leave for the balance of her pregnancy until she can return to work - if you have a position available for her at that time. You do not have to "make up" a job for her now or in the future nor have her sitting around on the payroll while other employees due the duties she's unable or unwilling to perform.

Also, what would be your practice if another employee needed 5 months of work restrictions? I agree your first step is to get documentation from her doctor as to what exactly her medical restrictions are.