Work

[Mariexo]

Hi everyone, wondering if someone can give me some advice...

At my current job I am on probation until July. By the time my probation finishes I should be about 12 weeks give or take... I don't know if I'll be showing very much or not as this is my first so not sure entirely what to expect. I know that by law you do not have to tell your employer until you are 15 weeks.

I was thinking about telling my employer today that I am pregnant but I decided against it. I was reading online and some people have said that if you tell your employer you are pregnant while under your probationary period, you are still safe by law and they cannot dismiss you for anything relating to your pregnancy. But other people said that if you tell them you are pregnant before your probation is up, they are not obliged to employ you permanently once your probation is up???

Either way, I've decided to wait until my probation is over to tell them as I feel it'd be safer for me to do things that way, as they will have made me permanent by then.

What do you guys think???

Xx

 

[andy2016]

Depends on your employers attitude and if it's a small or big company, my advice would be to wait until your probation is over as they could just come up with another excuse to terminate your employment with them before you'll be off maternity.

You're not doing anything wrong by not telling them before your probation is up so that's what I would do

 

[Mariexo]

Depends on your employers attitude and if it's a small or big company, my advice would be to wait until your probation is over as they could just come up with another excuse to terminate your employment with them before you'll be off maternity.

You're not doing anything wrong by not telling them before your probation is up so that's what I would do

Yeah, I thought the same.

I mean some of the websites/forums that I read, a lot of people said that by law they are not allowed to terminate your employment for being pregnant before your probation comes to an end. But at the same time, as you said, they can come up with a different reason for dismissing you.

I'd rather wait until 15 weeks if I can before I tell them - hopefully won't be showing too much for them to notice themselves. I was really debating telling them earlier today and I was sh***ing myself lol!! Was on the phone to OH panicking saying things like "oh what if they get rid of me, what will we do then?!" So I think I'm just going to play it safe, wait until 15 weeks and tell them then and just save up as much money as possible etc.

I'd be under so much strain if I told them now and they got rid of me and I had no income...

Thanks for your response hun. Means a lot. Xx

 

[JulyBug]

yeah I would definitely wait, if they chose to get rid of you at the end of the probation period after finding out you were pregnant it would be very hard to prove that was the reason why.. they could use any excuse!

You have plenty of time to tell them, you don't legally have to tell your employer until 15 weeks before your due date but obviously it makes sense to tell them prior to that, out of courtesy and depending on what job you do they may need to make certain changes to your job role.

Don't feel guilty about it, Anybody in the same boat would do the same, i certainly would.

I remember being asked at a job interview by some sexist guy whether I was planning on having children any time soon, it was safe to i wouldn't have got the job if i was to say yes - and no they're not supposed to ask you anything like that!

xx

 

[Emily0505]

Legally you don't have to tell your employer you're pregnant until fifteen weeks before your expected week of birth. So basically you're not legally obliged to tell them until you're 25 weeks along.

It's unlikely you would be showing by then with a first pregnancy so I would wait until after your probation period ends.

The only thing with not telling them is that obviously you'll need time off for your booking in appointment and scan.

XX

 

[Mariexo]

Legally you don't have to tell your employer you're pregnant until fifteen weeks before your expected week of birth. So basically you're not legally obliged to tell them until you're 25 weeks along.

It's unlikely you would be showing by then with a first pregnancy so I would wait until after your probation period ends.

The only thing with not telling them is that obviously you'll need time off for your booking in appointment and scan.

XX

How would you suggest I go about taking time off for appointments/scans then? Just booking them as holiday? Xx

 

[Emily0505]

If you can then you can book it as holiday to save Hassel and awkward questions.

You can tell them that you have a hospital appointment but unless they know it's antenatal then they won't necessarily pay you for it. By law you are entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments but obviously if they don't know you're pregnant then they may still give you the time off but unpaid.

XX

 

[Mariexo]

If you can then you can book it as holiday to save Hassel and awkward questions.

You can tell them that you have a hospital appointment but unless they know it's antenatal then they won't necessarily pay you for it. By law you are entitled to paid time off for antenatal appointments but obviously if they don't know you're pregnant then they may still give you the time off but unpaid.

XX

Well I am entitled to paid holiday anyway. I have remaining days to take this year as well. So if I just took it as a holiday day (and they don't usually ask what you are taking the day for because you are entitled to the holiday), then they wouldn't be any the wiser that it's for an antenatal appointment. Xx

 

[Emily0505]

I think booking it as holiday is going to be the easiest way to go about things and to avoid awkward questions. That's what I would have done if necessary.

XX

 

[Mariexo]

I think booking it as holiday is going to be the easiest way to go about things and to avoid awkward questions. That's what I would have done if necessary.

XX

Ok think I will do that. Just hope I won't really be showing much so that I can delay telling them as much as I can - don't want to risk anything with my employment being terminated or anything. I've heard that once you go on maternity leave, your employer doesn't guarantee that you have a place of employment held for when you want to return?? Xx

 

[redbear]

I'm not sure for when you return I thought that they did have to give you your job back.
I'd wait to tell them too, they can't get rid of you for pregnancy but like you said it doesn't stop them finding any excuse xx

 

[Blueclass]

You will probably look bloated but wont have a bump at 12 weeks i dont think.just wear baggy tops.

 

[Mariexo]

Thank you xx

 

[Ab202]

As far as I know, your workplace doesn't need to be informed until the 15th week before baby is due (so at 25 weeks). Also, you are fairly safe as a pregnant woman in work as workplaces have to be very careful to not be seen as discriminating or unfairly dismissing you. I'm also fairly sure that your workplace has to offer you your original job back once you finish maternity leave unless they can show that the job is no longer reasonably practical but if this is the case then they have to offer you an alternative with the same terms and conditions as your previous job as if you hadn't been away. You're legally entitled to time off for your antenatal appts and do not have to make this time back up (so they can't make you work an extra hour if that's how long your appt is) and this includes antenatal classes. Hope this helps! X

 

[kumber]

Your work place is legally obliged to keep your employment open for you to return to work. The only time they can use redundancy, for example, is by laying off other staff and they also have to prove that their finances can't keep those staff on. They can change your job title or move you between departments, etc., but they cannot refuse you back.

Contact ACAS to get a full breakdown of your rights, they're a Government employment advisory body