To think I will be discriminated against?

[ivanapoo]

Part of my new job is winning new business in a service-based industry (i.e. people will be "buying" me and the rest of the team, so personal chemistry is important).

I'm currently 3 months pregnant and have quite high business targets I'm expected to meet this year.

I work in a large org (hundreds of people) but am the only person who specialises in the area I work in.

AIBU to think that clients will be put off working with me/the company when I start showing as they'll think "she's going to bugger off in a few months and then where will we be?"

Or am I just being massively self-important?

So long as the rest of your team are upto scratch, then no reason why it should cause problems.

It's a possibility I suppose.

When will the company be training/employing someone else who specialises in your area?

squeaky I don't have a team as such, I'm a floater working with some established teams which specialise in other areas.

Worra employer doesn't know yet (will tell them fairly soon) but not sure, they might not bother replacing me tbh as it's a new role and quite a specialist/tricky one to recruit for (in terms of skillset and company dynamic).

What I'm concerned about is that the targets are what I will be judged on and if I "fail" it's an excuse to get rid of me before I do mat leave. Yet being pregnant may be a hindrance.

SHould point out job is new but company isn't.

Hmm, sounds challenging but not un-doable.

While I don't know the area you're in, have a few questions / comments.

1. How many of your targets can you realistically meet given the time left to you? Are the targets re-negotiable to make them achieveable?

2. The company obviously believe you're going to make them money by being good at what you do - no reason you can't sell them on the belief that they need to leave the role open for you to return to to make them more money then.

3. Ditto point 2, but with clients - in fact, you might well be able to get them to impress upon your company the advisability of same.

Also, congratulations!

But if your role is that important, surely they'll have to replace you with someone who does the same job as you?

To put it bluntly, yes you probably will be discriminated against!

People just cannot help but find pregnant women in the work place an inconvenience.

Moonlight thanks for your post and congrats, the answer to your first question is a bit of an unknown quantity but I feel fairly confident I can get most of the way there.

Worra as it's a brand new role there's no historic proof of the importance of it, IYSWIM - it's theoretically important hence its creation but equally they've made it this far without anyone doing it and could probably revert back to that... But it's a good point, if they feel a need to replace me then that's probably a positive isn't it?

Of course I'll want to prove the role's importance over the next 5 months or so but as said in OP bit worried this may be hindered by bump & prejudice. Only know one or two people at work with children but they are all Director level.

Think I'll just need to work my arse off over rest of preg rather than drift into reveries of motherhood... Also moving house shortly so feel like even though everything is good I've got a lot on my plate. I feel like the timing of new job & getting up the duff is slightly marring my enjoyment of both... Need to get over myself though, i think I'd be much more pissed off not to have the new job or not be pregnant!

Oh, it's good the others are Director level - would you be able to get one of them to mentor you for something in the career development line?
If you can I would imagine you'd then have a very strong advocate for keeping you with the company.

When you do let them know the news, definitely worth you having a plan of action for targets and general workload. Also, if you don't show for a while, then more time to get clients on side.

Hi Moonlight thanks for the advice, luckily my sartorial choices mean I can disguise the bump for a while... The lack of heavy drinking at work dos however is a bit trickier

That's a good idea re mentor. Unfortunately the two women who would make most sense to be my mentors are childless (and in one case I know it's not for extended want of trying, which had led her to feel understandably less sympathetic to the plight of the pregnant employee) but I will see who else might be suitable.

I have about 7 weeks before I legally have to tell them so if I go all-out this next month I'll at least have shown my commitment I hope; I've just remembered another colleague who I don't work with directly but who went on mat leave last year and is lovely so I can ask her about how she found things with the company.

This is the cynic in me coming out, but do be careful in relation to the timing of when you approach mat-leave colleague. I'd leave it until just after your legal obligation to announce, just in case she's not as discreet as she should be.

And go for the 'non-issue with childlessness' Director if she'd be the best fit - main thing is you get a strong advocate on side.

Also, the heavy drinking one is easy - you don't have to do more than a sip of anything, but be enthusiastic about requesting a top-up any time there's one going...If you can move to clear drinks (vodka / gin with mixer for e.g.) so much the better.