Looking for Advice

[_PrincessJ]

Hi everyone,

I am looking for some advice on my situation. Last year (October time) I got an amazing job at a huge company in my area, I needed certain medicals and checks doing before I could start which took months and months to go through. I found out I was pregnant at the end of February, complete shock. I had been on the pill and had really bad bleeding for 6 weeks and one very heavy haemorrhage bleed. When I found out I was pregnant I was about 9-10 weeks and was told I may have miscarried.

Long story short I had a sub-chronic hematoma which lasted a while, this has since subsided and the baby is doing brilliantly at 17 weeks. We are absolutely over the moon but it has taken a while to sink in as this wasn't planned. I recently got my job start date for Mid April and my notice has already been handed in at my old job which I am so happy to be leaving. I got a new Manager in January and she made my life hell for weeks on end. I'm currently off work during my notice period and we have put off telling anyone about the pregnancy because of my new job, only immediate family and friends know.

I didn't want to email my new Manager as I have only met one of them once in the interview. I also didn't want them to find out before I had chance to tell them (I live in a very small town). My plan was to go in and tell them in person and my plans going forward. But with all that is going on at the moment I don't know what I should do. I'm due to start in 3 weeks, this may be delayed because of the corona. So it will be another 3 weeks before I will be able to tell anyone about the pregnancy - its really getting my down because I don't feel pregnant other than having my lovely bump and haven't been able to get excited about it properly.

Does anyone have any suggestions or have been in a situation similar to mine?

My questions are:

Will/can they they terminate my start date and my employment if they find out via an email?
I don't want to be left without a job.

Which is the best way to approach the situation? Send an email first or wait?
I haven't met any of my team yet and don't want to feel awkward starting work.
I need to be in the job 15 weeks before the baby is due which works out to be the middle of May.

I really can't settle at the moment and need to do something. I phoned HR and they weren't very helpful. ACAS said it would be discrimination if they didn't keep me on.

Please help! Any words at all will be helpful at this time

 

[mindyb85]

I got a job when I was 24 weeks pregnant in the past. I wore really oversized baggy clothes bc technically you don’t have to say anything and it’s discrimination if they fire or don’t hire you because of that. The problem is the company can still do it and give ANY other reason. So I didn’t say anything until I had started actually working and was 29 weeks. I wore a maternity shirt that day and boom, the jig was up. It gave me enough time to plan maternity leave and a substitute to fill in while I was gone. I did hear through the grapevine tho that if they would have known, I would not have got the job. It’s discriminatory but a lot of places are like that, which is ridiculous considering you’re out for what 12 weeks and you’ll be an asset to the company for a long time.