Pregnant and threat of redundancy

Gillby1

Hi all,

I'm after some advice, please! I'm just over two months pregnant, and have just been made aware that our company is undergoing a 'streamlining' exercise, i.e. some of the workforce will be made redundant. At this stage i have no idea whether my job is under threat, and i'm not sure whether i'd be better off telling the company that i am pregnant, or if it would be better to keep it quiet until after the streamlining (assuming i still have a job!).

I assume that pregnancy doesn't automatically mean i can't be made redundant, and therefore the fact that i'll be taking maternity leave at some point might count against me, although i'm sure it won't be made obvious. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Worried Gillby x

babybeebee

I have been hearing rumours of our company making redundancies and we have been trying for a baby for a while now, trying to decide what to do, I don't know whether to listen to the rumours or not, I hope it is just colleagues gossiping but there is always the chance it is true. Scary situation, so I really feel for you, hope someone comes along and can advise you x

pinkshoes

They can't use your pregnancy as a deciding factor for redundancy. They can only make their decision based on OTHER factors.

Saying that, companies are frightened to make pregnant people redundant incase they start a tribunal against them! So telling them could work in your favour...

Perhaps post this on the employment board?

galvanizersbaby

Gillby1 wrote: »

Hi all,

I'm after some advice, please! I'm just over two months pregnant, and have just been made aware that our company is undergoing a 'streamlining' exercise, i.e. some of the workforce will be made redundant. At this stage i have no idea whether my job is under threat, and i'm not sure whether i'd be better off telling the company that i am pregnant, or if it would be better to keep it quiet until after the streamlining (assuming i still have a job!).

I assume that pregnancy doesn't automatically mean i can't be made redundant, and therefore the fact that i'll be taking maternity leave at some point might count against me, although i'm sure it won't be made obvious. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Worried Gillby x

Hi Gillby

Congratulations on your pregnancy and sorry your going through such a worrying time.
Our company had a similar streamlining exercise last year and they had to give 3 months notice before they actually announced who it affected so there was a lot of time to worry!
Re what you have highlighted in bold I am pretty sure that you are correct in that pregnancy won't protect you against redundancy and the fact that you are going to be taking mat leave shouldn't count against you (have no idea how big your company is and how the process is to be conducted )

Re telling the company about your pregnancy - I think if I were you I would wait a little longer perhaps after the 12 week mark but really it depends whether you feel comfortable with them knowing at this stage -redundancy wise it shouldn't make any difference.

Marcheline

Hi OP, there is no way in hell I'd tell your employer you were pregnant yet, considering redundancy is on the cards. I waited until I was 5 months gone (then it was too obvious to hide it any longer!) before saying anything to my bosses.

Being pregnant won't stop them from making you redundant, they just have to show that your pregnancy wasn't one of the deciding factors in making you redundant, which could be done if they put their minds to it, I'm sure.

If you don't tell them about the baby and you are made redundant, at least you'll have no questions about whether the pregnancy was really the reason behind it. And if you're not, then you won't have lost out anyway. Good luck

Gillby1

Marcheline wrote: »

Being pregnant won't stop them from making you redundant, they just have to show that your pregnancy wasn't one of the deciding factors in making you redundant, which could be done if they put their minds to it, I'm sure.

Thanks Marcheline,

That's exactly what i was thinking - they would be less inclined to keep me knowing that i would potentially cost them more money than an equal but non-pregnant colleague, but there's no way it could ever be proven.

Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, and good luck to the person who may be in a similar position. I suppose there is no definite answer. I think i might wait and see how things progress over the next few weeks.

Gillby xxx