when do you need to tell employers you're pregnant?

[mazpie]

After an early scan today my pregnancy was confirmed as viable and I'm 6+1 weeks pregnant. I'm currently in the process of looking for a new job and wondered when I'd need to tell the employers I'm pregnant. I have an interview for a job soon but if I get it I don't want to tell them I'm pregnant til my 12 week scan. I've read that you have no obligation to tell your employers straight away as they can't refuse you a job purely because you're pregnant (assuming it would still be safe for you to do that job), if this is true does that mean I could accept the job and wait a few weeks until telling them I'm pregnant?

I'd be very tempted to pretend I don't know I'm pregnant til after the 12 week mark but I don't like lying, I'm just worried I'll be refused the job.

The job is a part time/ full time team member at a restaurant. Doesn't involve any heavy lifting or anything too strenuous.

[Lweji]

The only reason to tell an employer this early on would be if there was a risk to the child, and that would be your decision.

It's very early on and anything can happen with the pregnancy (knock on wood), and you should be ok not telling anyone, let alone your employer, before the 12 weeks. IIRC, you should inform them a number of weeks before the due date, but it's fairly close to it.

[NoArmaniNoPunani]

You don't need to tell them as early as 12 weeks, it's more like 20 weeks

[lexyloub]

You have to inform them 15 weeks before due date ie 25 weeks

[KatyN]

The only reason to tell them early, that understand, is you can't be covered by the law that protects pregnant women until they know!
You also can't get protected time off for antenatal appointments until they know.

If niethr of these facts bother you, then you can hold off telling them.

Congratulations and good luck with the job
I

[AcademicOwl]

Hi there,
If it's an interview, I'm don't think if tell an employer this early.
I did interviews at 5 months in my first pregnancy and in one, the lay member (ie independent advisor) asked me at the very end if I'd be able to start the job on the starting date (which was 6 months away). I had to answer honestly - and the change from keen/positive to slump of 'oh no' was perceptible in the room. Nothing I could do, as they didn't ask me outright if I was pregnant (I volunteered the info) - and they had other great candidates.
If you think about it from an employers perspective, they get a new employee wo isn't going to be around that long, then they have to hold your job open, etc, etc. discrimination isn't ok, but it happens. :(
So don't lie, but at 6 weeks, don't volunteer the info if you can help it.
Good luck!