Job Interview with job due to start when I go on maternity leave

Hainault26

I’m not legally obliged to tell them but it is pretty obvious now so I will bring it up and talk over how I am able to continue in the role when I return to work. I wouldn’t not advise them and then if I got the job let them down last minute. But it’s pretty obvious I haven’t got long left so I’m sure they would know as soon as they meet me tomorrow.
Legally they are not able to refuse me this position due to my being pregnant and I am able to request clarification of why I was refused the job if I feel the need to. But I also understand that if I’m not availe to start when the job begins, that isn’t very helpful to them but they could possibly cover the post until I return. Here’s hoping anyway.

Hainault26

It’s a new employer and I haven’t been headhunted. I was looking for new employment due to possible redundancy because of funding and a new contract tender issue. However we won the contract so our jobs are all safe but in the meantime I found the job I’ve wanted for years and they are not often advertised. It’s been 6ish years since one has come up that is suitable. Really hoping the employer like me!

gettingtheresometime

OP I have to say that, as an employer, I'd rather someone was up front and honest with me than try and pull the wool over my eyes and then - effectively - hold me to ransom.


If they do like you then they, potentially, could offer a temporary contract to their 2nd place candidate though if training is involved (as an employer) I would wonder if it was worth the hassle.


Anyway good luck!

sangie595

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

OP I have to say that, as an employer, I'd rather someone was up front and honest with me than try and pull the wool over my eyes and then - effectively - hold me to ransom.


If they do like you then they, potentially, could offer a temporary contract to their 2nd place candidate though if training is involved (as an employer) I would wonder if it was worth the hassle.


Anyway good luck!

As a manager, so would I. But I would also understand why someone wouldn't tell me, and wouldn't think of that as attempting to be dishonest. Regrettably there is still significant discrimination against pregnant employees, and people do tend to make decisions based on the real world, not the world as we might prefer it to be. If there was less prejudice against women / pregnancy then we might be able to have adult conversations with potential employees about these situations. After all, if this person is the outstanding best candidate, my next considerations might be how vital it is that that specific person starts work on that specific date, or whether, if they really want the job that badly, whether we can come to some arrangements that suit us both.

A couple of years ago I interviewed an excellent, but heavily pregnant, woman for a job that we really needed to get filled quickly. Similarly, jobs like ours are niche and don't come up very often. She was desperate to get the job. We really wanted her to get it. So we agreed that she would curtail her maternity leave to six months, and would start part-time after two months, on minimal hours but working towards full time. That meant we had a plan in place that allowed us to see a reasonable end to b other staff having to continue to carry the vacancy. We could only do that by having an open and honest, adult, conversation. Luckily, she was the one who initiated that, because the law wouldn't have allowed us to do so. It was a great decision for her and for us.