When it comes to telling your boss you are pregnant, many women are at a crossroads. One woman I know was up for a promotion at her job and waited until after the hiring process to announce her happy expectant news. When she landed the job and the boss found out she was pregnant, his first response was, “If I had known you were pregnant, I wouldn”t have hired you.” Illegal? Yes.
Even so, it is easy to see things from the eyes of a supervisor or boss. After all, they realize that when a woman becomes pregnant, they are in for a certain period of maternity leave – which leaves them down an employee. And with laws in place to protect the jobs of pregnant woman, employers cannot just release an employee because she is pregnant. Yet – employers are human, and they realize pregnancy and having children may or may not affect a woman”s job in the long run.
So what should you do? Should you spill the news to your co-workers and your management team, or should you keep your lips tight?
Experts believe that a woman should feel safe and secure to announce the news of her pregnancy at work as soon as she feels comfortable doing so. In early pregnancy, when you may experience morning sickness, or need to call out sick, having your employer know you are pregnant can be beneficial. Additionally, if you have a stressful or highly physical job, it may be in your best interests to let your boss know so he or she can lighten your workload or transfer you to another department. Of course, all of this depends on your work culture and the nature of your business.
Some women decide to not break the news until after the first trimester due to risk of miscarriage or because of privacy reasons. There is no law or legal expectation for an employee to announce her pregnancy at work, and many strides have been taken to protect the jobs of pregnant woman. Years ago, it was acceptable for an employer to let a woman go because she was pregnant. Today, it is not.
One thing that is important is to make sure that you speak to your boss directly, and first – rather than let the news of your pregnancy reach him or her via the “grapevine.” This way he or she can discuss any concerns with you personally. Likely they will want to know if you plan to return to work after the baby is born, and in some cases, may need to make arrangements during your maternity leave so that their business is not negatively affected. Depending on your position, being properly prepared may be a process that needs to start sooner rather than later. This also gives you the chance to offer to help put a plan in place for your maternity leave.
The risk of your happy news affecting your stature in the workplace is one that cannot be ignored. Some people will see your pregnancy as a problem, for them. Even though legally an employer cannot discriminate against an employee due to pregnancy, some still will. This is why it is important for you to proceed with caution. At the end of the day, telling the boss you are pregnant takes a combination of timing and tact, and only YOU can know when the time is right.
Written By Stef, Mom of 4 @Momspirational
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2017. All rights reserved.
