Should I tell my Boss?

emmadragon

Hi,

I wasn't sure whether to put this in this section or under work - I expect I'll probably get very different replies from each!

My dilemma is this:
I have been working in my current job for 10 years, since I left college, it is my first proper job! The company is small with only the boss and myself in the office and we get by, we're not making millions but we both do pretty well out of life. The thing is my partner and I are trying for a baby and I don't know whether to tell my boss.

I have 2 trains of though on telling him, firstly so he has time to get someone new in to help out and train them up before I go on maternity leave and secondly because he is a friend (we've told a few close friends we are trying).

If I wait to tell him when I am pregnant he will only have 5 or 6 months to train someone new and if they don't work out it could really stress us both out!

So if you were in my shoes would you tell your boss you were trying for a baby or wait until you are and then tell them?

lostinrates

No. I wouldn't. When you are pregnant is time.

thunderbird

No - it could be months, years or never that you get pregnant (although I hope that you don't have to wait long )

Joons

It's your call, if your boss is a friend, why not?

claire16c

No way. Don't say anything until you're pregnant. It might take two weeks but equally it might take two years. What's the point of stressing him out before hand?

SandC

I wouldn't tell him until you are pregnant. That gives plenty of time to train up someone new.

Nobody would realistically want to go and work as maternity cover being trained up for someone who isn't even pregnant yet anyway would they?

tizerbelle

Rather than worrying about telling your boss before he/she needs to know, why not suggest that you start developing written procedure documents so that if anything should happen to either of you (sickness absence, long holiday etc etc) work can carry on with little disruption to the business.

Then when you are pregnant and the boss starts stressing you can say it's okay we have all these procedures to help us training someone up!

lindsaygalaxy

I agree tizerbelle.

Surely you must chat in the office though if he is a friend, he must be expecting it I would have thought!

Threebabes

I would wait until you are pregnant. Good luck!

TeamLowe

I wouldn't tell him as there's nothing he can do until you're pregnant, as SandC says, no one will come in to be trained 'just in case'

Tizerbelle suggestion is a great one

I'd think it's something he's already thinking of, i know my boss is always saying about contingency plans 'one of you might go on maternity leave...' as there's four women in the office with no children

daska

tizerbelle wrote: »

Rather than worrying about telling your boss before he/she needs to know, why not suggest that you start developing written procedure documents so that if anything should happen to either of you (sickness absence, long holiday etc etc) work can carry on with little disruption to the business.

Then when you are pregnant and the boss starts stressing you can say it's okay we have all these procedures to help us training someone up!

This ^^

Because your boss may get no notice at all. Unpleasant as the thought is you might walk under a bus or, more hopefully, win the lottery or any number of life changing events before you fall pregnant.