Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

So, pregnant and job hunting… your views!

19 replies

Pregnantandjobless · 19/09/2021 14:14

NC for this, as it’s completely outing.

Inspired by the thread recently about the woman who was pregnant and applied for a job.

I fell pregnant and found out I was being made redundant about a month later (large charity sacking hundreds of their frontline staff on the sly (whilst of course their senior management and PR lot all carry on as norma) and still claiming to be helping and taking the public’s money Angry). So I find myself pregnant (about 3 months) and job hunting.

Obviously I need to keep a roof over my family’s head so I will be finding another job, but of course I am keeping my pregnancy to myself due to not wanting to be discriminated against. In turn I’m aware I will be inconveniencing my future employer and I don’t feel comfortable about this. In case it needs saying, of course I wouldn’t have chosen to apply for jobs had it not been for the redundancy. I feel dishonest but I don’t have an alternative, so here I am.

I’m so curious to hear what people think about this situation, given some of the opinions expressed on the other thread.

OP posts:
BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 19/09/2021 14:18

You have to do what you have to do. A permanent employee is a long-term investment, and a period of mat leave doesn't change that. And I'd bet my boots anybody who flapped their mouth about its being wrong not to tell the employer would do the exact thing you're doing in your shoes, i.e. do what you need to do to keep a roof over their heads.

Pebbledashery · 19/09/2021 14:18

It really does depend on where you apply for a job and what the people are like. It's not a one answer fits all question.
If you work somewhere say like the NHS, you would most likely be supported in your situation, whereas if you worked in investment banking or the private sector, initially they may not take issue to it, and whilst its illegal to discriminate on pregnancy, you would still be on probation irrespective. They could quite easily manage you out by quoting "performance issues"
I'd be upfront about it if I were you, you don't want to piss a prospective employer off and give them reason to manage you out whilst on probation.

Namechange1778 · 19/09/2021 14:22

I was recently TTC when an amazing job came up. I didn't really make a plan, and panicked at every stage of the application process. Long story short... Fell pregnant in my notice period. Called new employer to tell him, he was perfectly accepting. Have recently started and things are going absolutely fine so far.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
Original poster
Pregnantandjobless · 19/09/2021 14:29

@Namechange1778 that’s really encouraging - and congratulations, both on the job and the pregnancy! Slightly different for me as I will be maybe 5/6 months when I likely start a new job so there’s no two ways about it - it’s going to be inconvenient for whomever employs me. And also for me - it’s really not a time I want to be getting to grips with a new role!

But as @BuffySummersReportingforSanity Says if I had to guess I’d say most people would do what I’m doing in my position. The other poster got a total roasting for it though, and I wondered how differently people would feel about my situation- not the same but the same impact on the employer.

OP posts:
Namechange1778 · 19/09/2021 14:35

It's a total shitter to be honest, as you say even if you get a job, you don't want a new job while heavily pregnant. You do have my sympathy, so much of it. Hopefully it all works out. One thing worth doing is working out whether you qualify for stat mat pay / maternity allowance anyway. As you'll unlikely get occupational may pay, you may not be financially that much better off in work while you are off.

That other thread was a total shitshow, I suspect most of the posters who were outraged have worked predominantly with employers who take the complete piss and forget their employees are human beings.

Remember that a recruitment process is a two way job, companies need you as much as you need them.

FtmNov22 · 19/09/2021 14:48

I interviewed in person and gpt the job at 26 weeks pregnant! I took 7 months maternity, was supposed to be shorter but due to covid it worked in my favour, i was down to work untill 39 weeks but my boy came early so i was working up to the day before i was induced at 37+3 weeks due to complications. Im still with the company now back from maternity and they have accomidated my need to pump whilst away from baby so well and are flexable with my hours due to childcare!

Original poster
Pregnantandjobless · 19/09/2021 19:52

Positive stories here, that’s really good to hear. I am worried about how an employer will feel about the situation but I suppose it helps that it’s not a situation I want either.

@Namechange1778 yes I will qualify for maternity allowance I think. Not in any way ideal but I am getting some redundancy pay which will go towards mat pay which helps.

OP posts:
Mantlemoose · 19/09/2021 20:21

I'm one of the ones who disagreed and I still disagree. We have an employee who has been with us two months and didn't tell us she was pregnant. She goes on mat leave in 2 weeks. Our MD is quite accepting of this however now all the work will fall back to us and as colleagues we're thoroughly pissed off with her taking the job. We've worked our arses off minimum staff during CV to try keep our company going and we're exhausted. Would have felt better they took someone on and it didn't work out than this.

BuffySummersReportingforSanity · 19/09/2021 20:26

@Mantlemoose

I'm one of the ones who disagreed and I still disagree. We have an employee who has been with us two months and didn't tell us she was pregnant. She goes on mat leave in 2 weeks. Our MD is quite accepting of this however now all the work will fall back to us and as colleagues we're thoroughly pissed off with her taking the job. We've worked our arses off minimum staff during CV to try keep our company going and we're exhausted. Would have felt better they took someone on and it didn't work out than this.
If you are a small company, you can reclaim her mat pay from the government and hire someone else to cover. It's not remotely her fault if you've found yourself unable to cover the role appropriately.
Original poster
Pregnantandjobless · 19/09/2021 20:41

@Mantlemoose

I'm one of the ones who disagreed and I still disagree. We have an employee who has been with us two months and didn't tell us she was pregnant. She goes on mat leave in 2 weeks. Our MD is quite accepting of this however now all the work will fall back to us and as colleagues we're thoroughly pissed off with her taking the job. We've worked our arses off minimum staff during CV to try keep our company going and we're exhausted. Would have felt better they took someone on and it didn't work out than this.
@Mantlemoose

I totally understand where you’re coming from and I’m really aware of how it will impact other staff. I can understand you wouldn’t want me as a colleague right now. But, is it wrong for me to apply for jobs? We can’t afford to live on one salary; and I want/need to work - being at home full time with a toddler would finish me off!

Genuinely taking no offence here - I’m sure you understand that your opinion can’t/won’t change me applying for jobs. Just genuinely curious Smile

OP posts:
HotelCaliforniaOnRepeat · 20/09/2021 00:14

I confess to not reading the whole thread, but just wanted to suggest looking for a seasonal role as Xmas is approaching in recruitment terms? That way it could be a short term solution that allows honesty.

ohthatbloodycat · 20/09/2021 00:24

It's not something I could do. However it's different for you, because of your redundancy and needing to work for financial reasons.
Good luck with everything Smile

fiorentina · 20/09/2021 07:12

Could you get a contract role, depending when you do? Or otherwise there are lots of temporary roles around if you do find it hard, and you could apply for permanent jobs. I was made redundant straight after our baby was born and interviewed pretty much straight away so I had a role to start when DC was 5 months? Good luck.

tiredanddangerous · 20/09/2021 07:18

I did it when I was pregnant with Dd1. Was about 6 weeks when I went for interview and 8 when I started. I came clean with the new employer when I got to 12 weeks. They then got their own back by refusing my flexible working request following mat leave.

I couldn't have just not applied for another job after redundancy - we wouldn't have been able to
cover mortgage and bills. What would the alternative been?

Original poster
Pregnantandjobless · 20/09/2021 07:32

@tiredanddangerous I can so relate to your username right now!! Yes, I don’t see any alternative in my situation.

@HotelCaliforniaOnRepeat I may simply be misinformed (would be no surprise to me) but aren’t Christmas roles in retail etc? I would have to take a considerable pay cut which wouldn’t be an option for us when considering the cost of childcare, and it would look very strange in terms of my career. There is no shortage of jobs in my industry, so it won’t be difficult to find one - so trying to find seasonal work would be a very unusual step for someone in my line of work.

I really admire anyone who is able to return to work with a five month old, @fiorentina, I was barely functional when my DS was 5m!

OP posts:
GinUnicorn · 20/09/2021 07:40

I can’t see any reason why not. Yes you will be taking some time off but if you are the best person for for the job then you could be there a number of years. A short legally entitled leave doesn’t change that.

DillonPanthersTexas · 20/09/2021 07:58

But, is it wrong for me to apply for jobs?

No, you have to what what you can, you can't live on fresh air. I guess in an ideal world you would apply for roles in a large organisation that is better equipped and resourced to deal with any disruption caused by maternity leave. As the other thread demonstrated applying to small companies causes more issues.

SunflowersInTheShade · 20/09/2021 09:16

Of course you apply. And you don't have to tell anyone anything untill you actually have to.

We had someone start and go off in a month on maternity. It did mean we had to scramble to find someone for cover. Also we struggled with what to give her in the month she was here - but fully appreciate it is what it is. Now she will be back in another couple of months and we will be happy to have her back.

SpikeDearheart · 20/09/2021 09:37

A few years ago I was TTC when an interesting job in an area I was looking to break into came up. I applied and was offered an interview, and by the time I had the interview I was pregnant. They offered me the job, I accepted and then told them I was pregnant, reasoning that if they were going to behave like arseholes about it I would rather know before leaving my old job. If they had any misgivings they didn't come across - I started the job when I was about 16 weeks and worked until 36 weeks, then returned from mat leave 8 months later. Since returning, work have supported my flexible working request and also promoted me that year, so they can't be too unhappy Smile

Maternity leave is, in the scheme of things, a comparatively short period in what may be a very productive and positive employee-employer relationship. Employers shouldn't be so daft as to miss out on excellent candidates because of it.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page