Flowerybeanbag -Medical Questionnaire for new job!

[Moonlit]

Hi Flowery,

I hope you are well?

I am glad to see you are still offering your wise words of wisdom here

Flowery I have been offered a job, but I am currently 8 weeks pregnant. I HAVEN'T told them about this or mentioned what happened at my last employers. I don't have to right? When do I need to tell them I am pregnant?

The only problem is they have given me a long medical questionnaire, asking rather strange questions, which will clearly tell them I suffered from work related stress. Also, they have a clause that if they find out anything about my health after employment commences then they could fire me, would being pregnant be one? Also there is mention of a company medical.

Also if the job starts at the end of Nov and my little bean is due at the end of May do I qualify for MA?

Thank you Flowery!

xx

[flowerybeanbag]

Hi Moonlit!

Congratulations, on pg and job!

You don't have to tell them you're pregnant until you are 25 weeks. I'd suggest telling them sooner than that to avoid irritating them, but you certainly don't need to tell them before you get there, and probably shouldn't.

They can't fire you for not mentioning a pregnancy.

Company medical is standard sometimes, depends on the company and the job.

I don't know how the questionnaire is worded obviously. I would advise not withholding anything for the reasons you've mentioned, but also not going into loads of detail if you can help it. Be factual and concise.

Chances are they will want to discuss with you to find out whether this is likely to reoccur or if it was specific to the circumstances in your last job, and they may want a medical opinion on that from their Occupational Health or another doctor. Apart from anything else it will be so that when an issue is flagged on the questionnaire, they can identify whether the person will need any additional support when they get there.

That's all fine and nothing to worry about.

For MA you must have worked for 26 weeks in the 66 weeks before your due date. So as long as in the 9 months of pregnancy plus the 6 months before that, you have worked a total of 6 months, you'll be fine, if that makes sense!