"AT RISK" POSITION AT WORK - 7 WEEKS PREGNANT

[First time mum]

Hi, I'm new to the site and want to say thank you for the kind welcome after my first post.

Okay, please bear with me on this one.
I find myself in a very awkward position in terms of work and not really sure what to do, so was hoping for some advice.
I will be 7 weeks pregnant tomorrow and was placed into an "at risk" position at work (as well as the rest of the team I work with)
Now, we have our contracts extended to the end of September and will be offered the chance to apply for other jobs here which will come up in about 2/3 weeks time.
My dilemna is whether to tell them I am pregnant before I go for these jobs, or keep stum and hope they dont guess. If, by the end of September I have not been able to be placed into another role and I havent told them I'm pregnant , do I then tell them and hope they will keep me on somewhere?

All replies will be gratefull accepted
x

 

[kalia]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by an at risk position. I assume it's one where you think you might be at risk of squishing LO. If so, don't worry - LO is currently the size of a grain of rice and has a fantastic safe swimming pool to protect him or her and will not get squashed by any position at all at the moment. LO is also putting no weight pressure on you so at the moment you wouldn't need to watch out for your posture and positioning any more than you did 2 months ago

Personally I wouldn't tell work just yet. I waited until 12 weeks and I'm in a permanent job! By the end of September you would probably need to tell them - it's likely you'd be showing and you may well be wanting to tell! Remember that if you want time off for scans and you haven't told work you'd have to make up another reason. Also, they won't do a risk assessment if they don't know.

In giving you a job they are legally obliged to ignore the fact that you are pregnant. It could be hard to prove if they chose to employ someone else though so I don't know if there is a risk you wouldn't get a job if they knew you are pregnant.

 

[andreag]

You are not legally obliged to tell your employer you are pregnant until 15 weeks before the EDD - so about 25 weeks. Chances are you will be showing by then though. I assume by at risk you mean the risk of redundancy? IF so, it is illegal for your employer to make you redundant because of your pregnancy, maternity leave etc. I would play it by ear for now and see how things pan out and how you feel - I have known when most of my staff have been pregnant before they told me becasue they look awful in the mornings and take more time off than normal!

 

[First time mum]

Thank you for your replies, I appreciate them
Yes, by "at risk" I mean at risk of redundancy, basically if they cant fit me in anywhere else or I apply for other jobs but dont get them (within the company) by the end of September, then I will be made redundant.
Very worried as I keep thinking that I will be showing at that time, that is why I have the dilemna of telling them or not before I apply for these other jobs?

 

[kalia]

Sorry, I'm a muppet!
To be honest I wouldn't tell them unless it were impeding my work. Just in case. That said, I was a complete basket case throughout my pregnancy and could barely string a sentence together by the afternoon as I was so tired and in that case it might be best to explain to them that you're not rubbish just pregnant.

 

[Foofoosmum]

As a SNR HR BP, I personally would advise you to let them know, (although you have no legal obligations to do that at your stage of Pgy) when you are pgnt you have stronger employment rights, and they would probably look to place you in an alternative role, than to have to provide the rationale that it was your job role, and not your condition that made you redundant.

 

[Jollypops]

If i were you i would look into my options elsewhere (ie benefits), depending what your circumstances are you my find that you would be better off claiming benefits than working!
I'm sure that i would be better off not working.
Good Luck with whatever you choose.

 

[Minxy]

Hmmm, this is a real toughie, I feel for you.

What's your company's history on these situations? Do a bit of research. If they generally redeploy, I'd consider making it known whenever you feel ready, regardless of job status. If anything, a reputable employer would be more careful to see you right, no-one wants a sex discrimination case

If they have made extensive redundancies in the past, or it's a very fast turnover industry, I'd consider keeping stchum until you've got a new role established.

Good Luck and let us know how you get on

 

[Jade&Evie]

If anything, a reputable employer would be more careful to see you right, no-one wants a sex discrimination case

Most companies can't be arsed with treading on the uneven ground that comes with making a pregnant woman redunant. It'll be much easier for them to get rid of someone else; unless there really is a viable reasonfor doing so.

 

[Julie84]

What a horrible situation!

I'd probably advise staying quiet for the moment and try and sort yourself out with a more permanent position within the company. Although, legally they should pay no attention to the fact you are pregnant when making decisions about your future within the company, it often does seem to have an impact. Also, if they did make you redundant the onus would be on you to prove it was because you were pregnant (I'd imagine tribunals would be stressful enough without being pregnant!)

I have always had a really good relationship with my manager, have a (I thought) well respected managerial position and have always worked really hard for the company - so I'm having real trouble coping with the fact I am slowly but surely having the more important work taken away from me and little digs every now and again. (I happened to mention I was tired once - after I'd worked all over the weekend for them unpaid to help get a project out - and now I'm practically termed unfit to do my normal duties!!)

 

[EllieL]

That's definitely a difficult situation. I work in HR, and in my company once someone is pregnant they would never be made redundant as it would be considered too risky to defend that decision even if it was absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the woman is pregnant.

However, many companies would take a risk that you wouldn't take the case to tribunal and win, and a lot of big companies put aside budget every year for lost tribunal cases in situations like these. So it really depends what the company you work for is like.

I wasn't going to tell my employers till I got to 12 weeks but in the end I had to tell them when I was 7 weeks pregnant as I was suffering from severe morning sickness. I then had to wait until June for a promotion and pay rise which I'd been practically promised in January, so I really regretted telling them.

I hope whatever you decide works out.