Going for promotion when (heavily!) pregnant

[Nomad]

Hi ladies,

I'm fairly sure I know the answer to this but I just want to check...

A job as come up within the department I work in which would be a step up for me. I'm 31 1/2 weeks and my maternity leave starts in 5 1/2 weeks. I honestly think I am a very good candidate for the job....can they refuse to give me the position because I'm pregnant / about to go on maternity leave?

I think what will happen is that they'll find another excuse not to give me the position - but that it will actually be down to my pregnancy. I have been studying for the last few years (which my employer funds) and am now over qualified for the position I am in. These positions so rarely come up and I'm gutted about the timing but I really will be amazed if they give it to me!

 

[Brandykins]

Hi Hon, just wanted to say i am in the same position. My boss has been impressed with my work and she has offered me a better job when i go back. She has even decided that the position will be covered by a temp while i am on maternity. What have you got to lose. I am 30 + 3 x

 

[Rachel80]

They can't refuse you a promotion because you're pregnant so I say go for it! They'd need to find a really good specific reason not to give it to you if you are right for the role. My organisation promote heavily pregnant ladies if they are right for the job so what have you got to lose? & if you get it it'll presumably mean an elevated salary & therefore elevated maternity pay!x

 

[flisstebbs]

My experience has been good, when i told my appraiser i was pregnant at 16 weeks (I started the new job in Feb!), he said they'd been so impressed with my work so far they were giving me a "tempting offer" to make it worth coming back to!

Def go for it, you could be very pleasantly surprised. Afterall, we're all likely to be working until we're 65+, so a year out here and there is not going to be a big deal in the scheme of things. Finding good employees is not as easy as it sounds, and i think companies like to reward good staff.

If they refuse you on basis of pregnancy then they are in breach on employemnt and discrimination laws.

 

[SpinSugar]

having been an interviewer, i know you CANNOT be discriminated against if you are g. If you are the best candidate, you will get the job, simple as. If you don't, you are entiled to see they assessent of you.

Employers have to be very careful with HR issues!

xx

 

[Nomad]

Thanks ladies. I've submitted my CV this morning so shall wait and see.... x

 

[Shell99]

Good luck!

 

[jennifers]

They cant be saying a no to you just because you are pregnant! Go for it!

 

[jennifers]

and yeah all the best darl

 

[Nomad]

So I chased up my HR department today about the job application I sent in a week ago...and just as I knew they would do they've made up an excuse not to give me the job (or even a sodding interview!). Apparently I don't have the necessary 'skill set'. Which is bullshit. They're trying to say that the job spec was badly worded and that actually they need someone with experience of their own caseload (which I don't have). I was even told that they would send me the job spec that they sent out to agencies so that I could see that this is a requirement (I applied after seeing it on our intranet page). The problem with their reasoning is that they did send me the external job spec and it DOESN'T say that it is necessary (or even 'preferred') for candidates to have experience of their own caseload, just that they will have their own caseload if they are taken on for this role.

Our HR department are all based at another office so I only had a very brief conversation over the phone about this - and that was only because I asked for a response to my application.

She did say that because the role is going to be so busy they need someone who can hit the ground running and that they won't have time to train someone. Granted, I would need an element of training but certainly not from scratch - I know the vast majority of what is required as I've worked in the department for three years and this is just the next step up. To me this just smacks of the fact that they want someone to start asap and as I'm going on mat leave in 4 weeks it would be a pain in the arse to give the position to me and then have to take someone on on a temp contract to cover until I get back. Also - as the position has only just been created (and so they've managed without for this long) how can they say the department won't cope while the person has some training?

I'm so f*cking angry. I obviously can't prove that the reason they're not even considering me is because of my pregnancy but until they can find a genuine reason to not even interview me I'm not going to let it drop.

Oh, and apparently they've deduced that I don't have the necessary 'skill set' by speaking to the head of my department....who is based at another office, puts in an appearance at our office about four times a year and who I've never worked for - how the hell would he know what my 'skill set' is??

I'm trying to put together a strongly worded email this evening so that I can send it tomorrow as I want an explanation from them in writing. Any tips would be gratefully received!

Apologies for the rant (if you've made it this far!)! x

 

[Smileygirl]

Grrrrr is all I can say. How very annoying and it does sound like they're making up an excuse, it's just annoying it's difficult to prove. Good luck with the email x

 

[Nomad]

Well I've had a bit of a war of words with HR today. They've come up with a reason not to consider me for the role....they've completely changed it to a role that I'm underqualified and not experienced enough for! *******s!

I've spent most of the day trying not to burst into tears - I'm not upset just bloody angry. I've spent the past two years doing work that is well above the work I'm paid to do and they obviously have no intention of rewarding me for it!

If nothing else it has made me determined not to go back there after mat leave. My boss (who I love to bits) has recently left to go to another local firm and has said she'll do her best to get me a job there. So I'm clinging on to the fact that I've only got 18 working days left and then hopefully I'll never have to go back!