Job Interviews: To tell or not to tell???

[Seraphim]

As a non pregnant woman, I always thought to keep the moral high ground you should tell any prospective employer about your pregnancy...

Now I'm seriously considering changing jobs - I know that I REALLY don't want to disclose my pregnancy at interview.

But when is the right time??

After you've got the job offer?

The thing is... I'd rather know they wanted me, and then give them the choice, than tell early and cloud their view. But the law being what it is... once they've made an offer - their hands are tied.

There doesn't really seem to be a good answer for anyone.

I have no intention of starting a job without telling. But I want to move jobs so badly now that I don't think I can bring myself to tell them - rightly or wrongly :/

 

[aimee-lou]

Hi hun,

It's a difficult one.

I would probably tell them at the 2nd interview if they hadn't guessed at the first one that is. Like it says in your poll, as least they will have called you back. I think it's different if you're quite early on (ie. first 12 weeks when you wouldn't tell anyone anyway!)....if you were not showing then it may be as well to tell them as they offer you the job....you would potentially still have 5 months prior to Maternity leave so you would have plenty of time in the job.....if you are closer to 20 or 30 weeks then you probably wouldn't be able to hide anyway.

So I'm voting for 2nd interview....but with a caveat for first tri girls who could probably wait it out.

God that makes no sense!

Hope you're ok

 

[Maffie]

If I was to be starting the job before I was 12 weeks id probably take the job. Depends how much you want the job and what maternity benefits you could stand to lose or gain.

 

[lesleyann]

i voted for "Tell them some time before the law says you have to, all's fair in love and job hunting."

Its your right to not have to tell them until the law states you have to and its so hard to get a job right now, id rather get the job then tell them rather than not get the job IDK

 

[JennTheMomma]

I'd tell them right away. I don't think its fair that you may not get a job because you're pregnant, I also don't think its fair to hide such a big thing from an employer. Some jobs want a person who isn't going to take time off in such a short while, espically since it takes time for all the medical insurance to go through. It puts the employer in a tough spot, and thats just not right to do, in my opinion. Plus it really doesn't who how honest you are if you keep a secret right off the bat.

 

[Jemma_x]

I honestly dont know when id tell them

 

[genkigemini]

Honestly, I lost my job at 11 weeks pregnant and I have had trouble finding a new job because I just can not NOT tell people that I am pregnant. With monthly doctor's visits and such, I feel it is unfair not to tell them as I will fully expect that employer to give me time off for my appts with no problems. It is give and take in my book.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[sarah1989]

i voted for "Tell them some time before the law says you have to, all's fair in love and job hunting."

Its your right to not have to tell them until the law states you have to and its so hard to get a job right now, id rather get the job then tell them rather than not get the job IDK

I agree! I wouldn't want anything to affect my chances of getting the job. They may refuse to hire you and make up some other excuse as to why they didnt.

Best of Luck either way hun

 

[morri]

Since you don't have to tell them(well maybe unless youre 36th weeks already) that you plan to or are expectant I just wouldnt. They can find that out early enough. Especially since it is forbidden to kick someone out who is pregant

 

[Marleysgirl]

If they don't notice at my interview that I'm pregnant, then I'm certainly not going to point it out to them!

If I am lucky enough to get a job offer as a result of interview, then I am going to wait until I have that offer in writing/email. They cannot rescind the job offer on the grounds of pregnancy after that point without discriminating.

So I shall tell them upon accepting the offer, but before starting, so they are fore-warned.

What's the worst they can do? Give me awful jobs? Hey, I'm having a baby later this year, I don't care!

 

[Seraphim]

All of your comments are SO helpful! Thank you.
I don't feel comfortable with any decision yet - but hearing from you all helps.

I'm in the UK, so medical insurance etc doesn't apply.
My current contract doesn't include a company maternity package - so I'm not losing anything there.
The main financial difference for me would be moving from SMP to MA, which I've calculated to be about £1750 shortfall... but with a prospective £5k increase in salary, that would be more than covered.

I'm also thinking - even if I wasn't pregnant right now... there is nothing to say I couldn't/wouldn't get pregnant soon after starting and go off on very early mat leave... so there's not a huge difference....

I'm 17 weeks today and interview week after next.

 

[Vici]

With UK employment law as it is on unfair dismissal in the first year (whether you are pregnant or not!!) I would tell them at interview. There will always be a way they can "get rid" of you in that first year regardless so if you've been honest then I know if I was an employer i'd appreciate that

 

[Seraphim]

With UK employment law as it is on unfair dismissal in the first year (whether you are pregnant or not!!) I would tell them at interview. There will always be a way they can "get rid" of you in that first year regardless so if you've been honest then I know if I was an employer i'd appreciate that

That's interesting, because it goes against what I've been led to believe.
I spoke to ACAS and they told me new job or no, I'd still have the added protection of maternity/antidiscrimination law - AND be on mat leave for most of the first year - so the way they described it, it would be *safer* than just starting a new job and *not* being pregnant.

 

[Vici]

But ACAS will also tell you that u can be dismissed unfairly (even when not PG) in the first year! This is true altho is very very unlikey to present any kind of prosecution. I worked for a charity supporting people with disabilites (learning and physical), older people and kids with disabilities and it was always a get out clause for being able to get rid of people should personality clashes occur (these people are working with them all day every day in their house). Funnily enough it was ACAS who advised us on this (during various courses we did with them )

Don't get me wrong, you will still be entitled to your maternity benefits, but only if they decide not to get rid of you in some other way (as wrong as it is!) Maternity law does not mean you cannot get sacked at all, it means they can't sack you for being pregnant or a pregnancy related illness/condition, but no company in their right mind would not have looked at that before finding a way! Its a sad fact but is true (especially for smaller companies who can really struggle with people on mat leave or sick leave )

This is also why, if a company goes under during frst yr of employment you cannot claim anything! Over 2 yrs service - statuatory redundancy, Between 1 and 2 yrs - unfair dismissal but under 1 yr - nothing!!

 

[Christine33]

i am in a very similar situation as you hun....

i am almost 8 weeks pregnant and currently temping via an agency. the job i am in will never become permanent, it is just helping out over a busy period. i suspect it will end soon too.

this coming wednesday i have three job interviews (yup, all on the same day!!!) and i have no intention of telling them. basically i am only 8 weeks gone, anything can happen, also there is also a possibility i never even knew i was pregnant at the interview (which i do but lots of women can be 8 weeks gone and not know they are pregnant) so based on the above i am not telling them.

i want to get myself a perm part time job so i can at least qualify for maternity allowance. i also want to work as i am not ill!!!! however, i think if you tell perspecitve employers you are pregnant i suspect you won't get a job!!

when i was about 20 weeks gone with ali i was at uni but tried to find a part time job and NOBODY would hire me. i had a bump so couldn't hide i was pregant, but now i can so my advice is don't tell them!

 

[x-amy-x]

I'd tell them at the interview. I couldn't not. I'd feel way too guilty

 

[Marleysgirl]

Well, I didn't tell them at my interview this morning! But if they'd looked at my posture / figure, they could probably guess - it was at the NHS!

The way I see it, even if the employer finds other reasons to let me go after a few months (rather than citing the pregnancy), at least I'll have had a few months of being employed and earning a living.

I suspect it's a different decision for those of you currently in jobs, deciding whether to go for another one.

I'm still job-seeking at the moment, and the DWP certainly expect me to continue looking for jobs and attending interviews right up to 30 weeks (when they change me onto MA).

 

[Sarahkka]

I think it should be kept in mind that pregnancy is not something you are supposed to be punished for financially or career-wise. You have every right to work when you are pregnant, just as you have every right to work and provide for yourself when you aren't. As for the employer, well, that's life. Life happens. You didn't go out and get pregnant just to screw them. It could just as easily happen that they hire someone who doesn't work out or who leaves to take a better job. That's part of business. It's not personal. Any employer worth their salt should know that.
I really disagree that "honesty" has anything to do with when or if you decide to tell your prospective employer about your pregnancy. It's your business. You are under no obligation to disclose your private business until you need to make arrangements for your mat leave. There is nothing dishonest or wrong about doing that - it's your right to privacy! As an employer, the only reason I would need to know sooner is if the nature of the work endangered the pregnancy somehow.
It might be nice for the employer to have advance notice so that they can make plans for your absence, but it's just as easy for someone who isn't pregnant to give two weeks' notice and they'd have to cope with that. (That happened at my company. We survived.)
The last thing you need while coping with pregnancy and job-hunting is some guilt-trip that you are inconveniencing the prospective employer by daring to have a baby.

 

[Vici]

Sarahkka, thats all very well in the ideal world, but in the real world of business, especially small business it simply isn't ideal, especially not in this economic climate with 100's businesses going under every day!

 

[Sarahkka]

Actually, I would say that employers who think that anyone they hire is always going to be there for the long term are the idealists.
In real life, you have to accept the risk that anyone you hire may not be with you for very long, no matter how careful you are about interviewing and choosing the best candidate. That's something I have to be prepared for as a director with just such a small company as you describe. If you want to survive, you need to have back-up plans for every contingency. As an employer, that's your problem, not your pregnant employee's.
Pregnant women should not be worrying about what their employer will do when they're on mat leave. They need work just as much as the next person. It may not be ideal for me as an employer, but it's life and it's something that I have to be prepared for. If I'm not, that's my own fault and my own poor business practice.