Might be pregnant and made redundant at the same time

[WorriedAboutFuture1]

Hi everyone, NC as I want to keep some privacy. My employer of four years is going through redundancy now, and I thought my position was safe. However, I suddenly received an email from my manager yesterday for an ad-hoc meeting.

According to my colleagues, this is the tell-tell sign of being made redundant. The problem is that I will also have my blood test tomorrow to confirm if I am pregnant with my second child, so two things added together introduce massive anxiety. We have some savings, but I need more to last long if a baby is on the way. My partner is already maxed out (one full time job and one part time) won't be able to earn more.

I am looking for advice on how to best handle this situation and stay calm. Thank you so much.

check with universal credit, I was on this situation years ago on old style benefits and received my maternity pay via the job centre (which then dropped to normal benefits rates after maternity period had ended)

If you're pregnant your job is safe. But not your role. You might be given an equivalent role within the company at same pay.

https://www.acas.org.uk/redundancy-protection-for-pregnancy-and-new-parents

@lollydu for interests sake, how does that work. If the employer doesn't know about the pregnancy say? Or the pregnancy is not yet confirmed? Not sure on background when blood needed, assuming OP has reasons for not using home test.

So if I am made redundant this morning, and test this afternoon type scenario

They can't call you in one on one about redundancy. If over 19 people are at risk they have to go through consultation. That takes an age. How long have you been there, if you were to be made redundant do you know what the package would likely be?

Once the pregnancy is confirmed then the protection kicks in afaik

Have you had a positive pregnancy test?
Why do you need a blood test to confirm?

I am certain that's incorrect.

I know of two people made redundant during pregnancy. If the role is gone, it’s gone. The reason she’s called in individually maybe because she’s the only one in her role.

Good question - I'm not sure! I would consult ACAS but I would think if you became pregnant before your final outcome meeting they would need to take that into account so at any point in the "at risk" period but I literally have nothing to back that up so could be wrong!

@Motnight I'm pretty sure it's against the law to discriminate a pregnant woman in a redundancy scenario. I was in a department that was put at risk (I wasn't technically as on a secondment so I just went back to my old role) but the woman I was covering for was on maternity and she basically got first refusal for the new role in the structure. She didn't want it and took redundancy but if she had applied she would have got the role.

Pregnancy does not protect you from redundancy. Especially if the employer can prove that this was in the pipeline before anyone knew OP is pregnant.

So, yes, they have to consider you for any new positions first, no they don't have to give it to you if you are not having the required skills.

www.acas.org.uk/redundancy-protection-for-pregnancy-and-new-parents#:~:text=Pregnant%20employees%20and%20some%20new,pregnant. Have a look here Op for up to date advice

I was made redundant during maternity leave. In my case company closed down and everyone lost their job so I wasn't at all discriminated against. The amount of people I met who told me it was illegal and not allowed to happen was unreal. Sorry I know I've gone off topic and this isn't helpful to the OP.

@lollydu it's more nuanced than you suggest.

I’ve been made redundant whilst pregnant twice. Being pregnant doesn’t give you any protection against redundancy unfortunately. They can’t discriminate against you for being pregnant but as they don’t know about it they aren’t doing that. If you are still in employment 15 weeks before due date you get SMP paid but this is unlikely to be the case if it’s early days of pregnancy. The first time it happened to me I got another job when I was 18 weeks pregnant and held my belly in for a few weeks before I told them. It wasn’t ideal but not the end of the world.

There are now enhanced protections against redundancy in pregnancy whereas before it just covered you if you were on maternity leave.

You are supposed to be offered an alternative role if one is available

From 6 April 2024 the redundancy protected period for pregnant employees or those taking maternity leave has been extended. Before this they were only protected while on maternity
The redundancy protected period during pregnancy and maternity:

• starts when an employee tells their employer that they are pregnant
• ends 18 months from the exact date the baby is born

If there are any suitable alternative vacancies an employer must offer them to employees who have this redundancy protection.Anyone who has this redundancy protection has priority over other employees. This applies even if other employees are also suitable. If this does not happen, it might be automatically unfair dismissal.

The company isn't even aware the OP is pregnant so it clearly cannot be a case of discrimination.

Not true. You're protected from pregnancy discrimination but can still be made redundant like anyone else. Redundancy is about the role disappearing, you keep it in existence just because the staff member is pregnant.

But once she knows for sure she will fall into the protected category

You can't keep it in existence* or be given another job if there isn't one

But if there are any suitable roles she should be offered them. If there aren't then yes, she could be made redundant

Postpone the meeting for a day if you can, and advise your employer of your pregnancy before you attend the meeting.

I would phone in sick until you get the results from pregnancy test (assuming that you can just pee on a stick)
If its positive I would then email in to tell them.