Would you tell a potential employer you are pregnant?

nemoo

iamana1ias wrote: »

Oh my. Where to start with this pile of bunkum.

1st scan usually takes place at 12 weeks.

Shot down in flames and yes I did get my numbers wrong....:o

iamana1ias wrote: »

Legally the expectant mother only has to inform her employer no later than 15 weeks before the baby is due. That's week 25. No-where near the first scan, and actually quite some time after the major 20 week scan! There's no way a father could be expected to tell their employer before this (although many may, it can't be a clause that they must). The reason for this is because the pregnancy may be terminated at any point up to 24 weeks, and sometimes will be because of problems found on the 20 week scan. There is absolutely no way an employer can insist on knowing before 25 weeks.

whether you missed where I said that it was IMO or the fact that the beginning of my post caused much grievances for you, I guess your opinion had already been formed that anything I was to say thereon will be ill conceived - granted! I should have mentioned the fact the my wife worked in an environment that requires her to handle chemicals and other potentially hazardous materials. It may have been as result of this that her employer requested earlier than normal notice - mainly to safeguard the mother to be than to look after their interests. I'll stop with that before I unwittingly offend more!

to the OP>> apologies if I had misinformed you but I should have got my scan facts right.... nonetheless good luck with which ever path you take but I still standby my opinion that I would inform the employer - hopefully there's no bunkum to be had in that

woody01

iamana1ias wrote: »

Amazing how many employers forget that they get up to 105% of the SMP reimbursed by the government. If your maternity package is too generous for that to be of serious help, you should revise your policies.

It's also amazing that you quote the same thing as everyone else when you don't really know the full implications.
You are obviously an employee that sees things in 1 dimension. No-one seems to look at things from an employers point of view. If they did, they would realise the difficulties.
I still have to pay MANY other things for that employee.....NI for a start.

Our policies are used throughout the business globally and are of the highest standard btw.

This is all academic anyway as the OP won't be entitled to any money from the employer, as she has just started/about to start, and is already 14 weeks pregnant.

liney

OP will have to claim maternity allowence from the Job Centre as she won't be able to claim SMP from her new employer.

Would I tell them? Not if i wanted the job I wouldn't, because sadly we all know that the vast majority of employers will not even consider you if they know. Of course no employer will admit this, because discrimination doesn't exist, women are paid equally, and have all the same opportunities.......honest.

sammyjo1979

I think this is a big problem these days, people are so quick to jump on potential discrimination, and yet don't seem to see that perhaps they just weren't the best for the job (regardless of skin/sex/sexed up/social background, and any more s's).


I agree it is a big problem, but what I feel is if I don't tell them until the job is offered then at least I have got as fair a chance as everyone else. Whether we like it or not and whether it is illegal or not, most employers, especially small employers would choose non pregnant over pregnant.

SueC_2

pinkshoes wrote: »

Could you go to the interview, and if offered it, THEN tell them you've just found out you're pregnant, and offer to withdraw your application?

Isn't that tantamount to offering them a discrimination claim on a plate?

They offer you the job, but then you don't get it after all specifically BECAUSE you're pregnant????

Any

Yes, many mixed reactions...

But I have to ask one thing - OP, do you think that if you don't tell them until after, the people you work with and managers will forget it during the 6-12 mths you will be on leave?

Ask yourself this - do you think you will be happy at the job if you will never be accepted into the collective?

If you don' tell them, everyone will be seriously pi***d off with you. Just before you will be going off on leave and it will grow even bigger while you will be away...

sammyjo1979

I wouldn't leave it till then. I would tell them as soon as I was offerred the job and had accepted. That way it would only be HR/Interviewing people that would know.

Uncertain

Any wrote: »

Yes, many mixed reactions...

But I have to ask one thing - OP, do you think that if you don't tell them until after, the people you work with and managers will forget it during the 6-12 mths you will be on leave?

Ask yourself this - do you think you will be happy at the job if you will never be accepted into the collective?

If you don' tell them, everyone will be seriously pi***d off with you. Just before you will be going off on leave and it will grow even bigger while you will be away...

Very sadly this may be true (and of course it should not be)!

However, if the OP tells them in advance then realistically she will not get the job.

If she exercises her legal right not to tell them and does get the job then at least her options are open. If she does run into the problems you suggest she can either look for something else or dig in and fight, whichever she prefers.

Or the problems may well not be as big as you imagine.

zzzLazyDaisy

The law does not require you to tell them you are pregnant at interview, and in a strange way, you are doing them a favour by NOT telling them (I say this as a former employment lawyer who acted almost exclusively for employers).

The reason is simple - if they don't know you are pregnant, they can't unlawfully discriminate against you by refusing to employ you because of the pregnancy.

You will get the job (or not) fairly and squarely on your own merits, and no-one can accuse them of taking the pregnancy into account when making their decision. So they are home and dry where allegations of discrimination are concerned. Whereas, if you tell them and then don't get the job, you will be left wondering - and they are potentially on the wrong end of a discrimination claim, which even if they win, will be costly and inconvenient.

Your pregnancy is not relevant (in law) so don't cause unnecessary problems.

You may choose to tell them once you have been offered the job, or you may choose to wait until the 25 weeks, at which point you are required to tell them. Unless of course the job involves lifting, or working with chemicals, or long periods of standing, or something else that will require a risk assessment, in which case you should seriously consider telling the employer earlier.

The other issues raised by other posters about the attitude of your colleagues or management to your failure to reveal the pregnancy at interview, may or may not be a problem. But as another poster has said, you can choose to look for another job, or stay and fight.

Either way, the discrimination laws are there for a purpose, and I can't think of a single good reason why you should throw away your legal rights, just because some people think this particular law is unfair on employers.

Uncertain

zzzLazyDaisy wrote: »

Either way, the discrimination laws are there for a purpose, and I can't think of a single good reason why you should throw away your legal rights, just because some people think this particular law is unfair on employers.

The best comment in the whole thread!