No Maternity rights in my employee contract! Help!

Nicki

Trouble with the anti-biotics line is you can only really use it once or twice, otherwise you sound like you've got something really seriously wrong with you. I would pretend to be on a huge de-tox diet - a real Carol Vorderman month or 6 week effort, which should get you past the point at which you want to tell people anyway, and which will also sound credible coming at the start of January, when loads of people do this kind of thing. It will also be a good smokescreen if you suddenly find that things like coffee and tea make you feel a bit queasy, if you have previously been a heavy drinker, and will account for any weight loss if you have morning sickness. (sorry, sounds awful, but being pregnant is fun, really!)

blessings3

The detox line is good - or if u still want to eat burgers etc just say you are on a non spesific drug that you cannt drink with and if anyone ask what just say I could tell you but then I'd have to shoot you! (if its the sort of company where that would be funny!!!

conradmum

I feel a little bothered by your and your company's attitude to your pregnancy. You seem to feel a little guilty and apologetic, and it seems your company's attitude may be negative. Firstly, you have nothing to feel guilty about - you're a working woman who's fulfilling a natural function. Yes, it may be disruptive to your company and cost them money, but that's life. Women contribute a huge amount to the productivity of the country and shouldn't be penalised because they are the gender that happens to have the babies. Secondly, your company needs to update its attitude. It isn't a 'problem' when an employee falls pregnant, it's just a scenario where they have to follow employment law, the same as they have to follow employment law regarding a lot of issues.
There's still a fair amount of discrimination against pregnant women goes on - it makes me MAD! )

Snaggles

Congratulations on the pregnancy!

If you are out drinking with friends, you could drink tonic, but say it's vodka and tonic if anyone asks. If you are all buying rounds it's trickier though!

hobo28

conradmum wrote:

I feel a little bothered by your and your company's attitude to your pregnancy. You seem to feel a little guilty and apologetic, and it seems your company's attitude may be negative. Firstly, you have nothing to feel guilty about - you're a working woman who's fulfilling a natural function. Yes, it may be disruptive to your company and cost them money, but that's life. Women contribute a huge amount to the productivity of the country and shouldn't be penalised because they are the gender that happens to have the babies. Secondly, your company needs to update its attitude. It isn't a 'problem' when an employee falls pregnant, it's just a scenario where they have to follow employment law, the same as they have to follow employment law regarding a lot of issues.
There's still a fair amount of discrimination against pregnant women goes on - it makes me MAD! )

I'm going to go out on a limb here. I'm guessing that the company's "attitude" isn't against pregnant women per se. Its probably more bothered by the fact that they will lose a key member of staff and the increased costs of temporarily replacing her.

Remember that most small firms don't have the resources of a large firm and often the money spent is coming out of the actual pocket of the employer rather than some faceless shareholders.

That said, there are laws protecting pregnant women and rightly so. As long as they follow those laws, it doesn't really matter what their "attitude" is like.

Personally I wouldn't hide it. Your pregnant, its natural. If you lie about it now, the lie will snowball and you'll risk digging a hole you can't get out of without upsetting people I suppose for the first 12 weeks you can hide it and explain it afterwards by you wanted to make sure you didn't miscarry. After that, I think its only fair you are up front about it. Gives your employer time to figure out what to do.

magyar

hobo28 wrote:

Personally I wouldn't hide it. Your pregnant, its natural. If you lie about it now, the lie will snowball and you'll risk digging a hole you can't get out of without upsetting people I suppose for the first 12 weeks you can hide it and explain it afterwards by you wanted to make sure you didn't miscarry. After that, I think its only fair you are up front about it. Gives your employer time to figure out what to do.

You're perfectly right about the 12 weeks point: most people I know don't even tell friends and family. You should, however tell someone at work in confidence if there is any question that your work may harm your condition (unlikely in a web design company...)

binkyboo_2

I have carefully read all your comments and want to say another big thank you for all your advice. I think the reason i am panicking so much is that when my sister was pregnant with her first child she was sacked by her boss for being pregnant. Unfortunatley she received an email from her boss to another member of staff by mistake which stated she was going to be sacked because of her pregnancy. i am sure anything like this will not happen but having it happen to someone close to you does make you wary. I don't feel guilty about having a baby in any way and i know my company will just have to deal with it it is just a worry of how well they will take the news!
Thanks once again and merry christmas to all of you

xxx

magyar

binkyboo wrote:

I think the reason i am panicking so much is that when my sister was pregnant with her first child she was sacked by her boss for being pregnant. Unfortunatley she received an email from her boss to another member of staff by mistake which stated she was going to be sacked because of her pregnancy.

I'm sure I don't need to point out that this is illegal and with this email she would have a very clear case in a tribunal. Did she do anything about this?

Makes me mad... of course it's hard for some businesses to cope when a woman is pregnant, just as if people are sick, etc., it goes with the territory. It doesn't absolve them of their responsibilities.

binkyboo_2

she did take it to a tribunal yes but her boss was a very slippery character and tried everything he could to make the situation turn out in his favour. In the end she got a small amount of money but nothing compared to what she deserved. I will spend my time off having a good think about when to tell my boss and i will let you all know the outcome when i do.