6wks preg-working! PLease Help

[babyhopes2010]

so started job nov 2010,for council.
im covering maternity leave for 6-12months(well until she comes back)
Im pregnant about 6 weeks which im happy about after ttc 2yrs.
Whats rights do i have,im not talking maternity leave,
im mean can they get rid of me?
when should i tell them?
could they cut contraxt short as the length only says to cover maternity leave which surely means when she comes back i go

what to do?
would really appreciate some advice

 

[ClaireMuir123]

Legally you don't NEED to tell you're pregnant until you're between 20-25 weeks pregnant but if you need time off for midwife appointments and scans etc you'll need to tell them. Plus if you're sick related to pregnancy this isn't included as sick leave but of course, if you need to tell them. But they cannot dimiss you based on the fact that you are pregnant.

Claire xxx

 

[LizzyBell]

They can't get rid of you based on the fact that you are pregnant.... however, if she does come back and you only have a contract for 6 months then at that stage they would be within their rights to let you go as this would have happened whether you were pregnant or not. If you are still with them when you go on maternity leave (depending on the organisations policies) they should extend your contract to include your maternity leave. Check your rights with your HR department if you have one, or if not there should be employment policies/procedures available to you that you can read to find out your rights. If your not sure go on www.direct.gov.uk and you can get advice through that. Because you have not worked for your company long you may not be entitled to full maternity pay but you should get statutory. Depends on who you work for. Good luck, I was worried about a similiar situtation but it has thankfully worked out and I am sure it will for you too x

 

[nearlythere38]

hi, i was in a similar situation to you with my last pregnancy. i started a 6 month temporary job on 1st February (couple of years ago), because i really wanted to work for this particular company, but the company was in the process of being taken over hence why they were only giving temporary contracts.

1 week later i found out that I was pregnant. obviously i felt awful, and guilty and dreaded telling them as i thought they would think bad of me. Anyway, i told them when i was about 8 weeks because i didnt like that feeling hanging over my head, i needed to get it out. they were really good with me.

i was told a few months later that the new company who had taken over was ending lots of temporary contracts, one of which was mine. It was due to end in August, my baby was due in early october. so they extended it by one month, and then coincided my contract ending with my maternity. I didnt qualify for maternity pay with them, as i believe you need to have been working for the company for 25 weeks by the time you are 29 weeks pregnant - i.e. you need to have been working there for a month before you conceive. But i did qualify for the maternity allowance from the government because i had been working.

they cannot get rid of you because you are pregnant, and they will know that. they will probably be very nice to you, theyve got to be so careful with pregnant ladies nowadays. they would be within their rights to end your contract after the 6 months if the other lady comes back, and as far as I am aware, if you go on maternity leave before the lady comes back, they can still end your contract whilst you are on leave.

you dont have to tell them until like 25 weeks or something, personally i think you would be much better being honest with them now, otherwise it will bother you for the next few months and it doesnt give them much notice. if you wanted to tell them, you could tell them youve been trying for 2 years, and then im sure they would be very happy for you.

congratulations on your pregnancy!

 

[babyhopes2010]

thanks i dont want to tell them until i have a scan cos u never know xx