What shall I do?

[bumba27]

I'm 22 weeks pregnant and started a new job today, I have to tell them I'm pregnant in 3 weeks as I've read somewhere you have to tell them 15 weeks before baby is due??

It's a 0 hour contract and I feel like I've completely deceived them as because I only have a tiny bump you could never even know!!

Will they still give me hours? Are they gonna be pissed off?

I'd be pissed off. That's devious

If you're a zero hour "worker" having been there for a week, then I don't believe there's any impact other than the fact you'll likely be declining shifts in a few months.

The 15 is only for SMP, and for that you need to have been there for 26weeks before (ie you have to have been working their 11 weeks before you got pregnant)

Depending on the employer and the topf of job, there's a very good chance they'll just be glad of another pair of hands option...

I would find it very annoying as an employer having gone through the application process, interviews, training etc for my new member of staff to go on maternity leave in 3/4 months.

They won't have to pay you maternity.

If you're capable of doing the work, you should get hours. Do you want to work there after the baby?

I think you need to be prepared to be fucked over, but you might be lucky.

Why shouldnt a pregnant get a job

A pregnant woman

Oh fuck off everyone saying she's devious and this is why people don't employ women. OP hasn't done anything wrong, pregnant women still need money you know.

It's like we've gone back to the 70s

OP hasn’t done anything wrong and to suggest otherwise is discrimination

OP- I hope this doesn’t affect your shift pattern. But they have no right to be pissed off. Pregnancy is part of life and employing people.

Depends on your employer I would imagine, being zero hour and depending on the job could mean that they jiggle things around for a while until you can come back.

They could announce redundancies and include you in those as you have only been there a few months.

No one will really know, but they will be quite miffed even if it is just to go through the whole recruitment process again, but, they could have done that if it is a high turnover or you didn't last your probation period.

I doubt you would get any maternity pay but it may work out that you could offer the odd few hours when your DH can cover with child care.

As I said, no one will really be able to answer as it is down to the employer.

What was OP supposed to do, just not get a job until the baby comes? I think zero hours is possibly the option that doesn't take advantage because there are so few worker rights anyhow, she'll just have to stop working and they'll just have to find another person in a few month's time, which I don't imagine is very difficult.

It's a job in care work and the company have taken on about 50 new staff so I don't think I'll be missed! I'm not looking for SMP off them but the job centre isn't going to pay for my baby so if being devious to get some money to provide for my unborn child then so be it

Thanks for comments everyone!

Legally your prospective employer has no right to ask if you are pg and you have no legal need to tell them when obtaining the job. That is the law. You have done nothing wrong op.

Thos whining about op being devious and how annoying can just jog on back to the 1980s.

All of you saying OP is devious need to have a hard look at yourselves. You aren't required to disclose to a potential employer that you're pregnant, and you don't have to tell them before the deadline.

OP you won’t have worked for your new employer long enough to qualify for maternity pay - have you looked into maternity allowance with the job centre? I work in HR and my organisation have hired several pregnant woman in the 4 years I’ve worked there - some we’ve known about & some have told us shortly after they’ve started. Don’t worry about it at all. Good luck with your pregnancy x

OP is looking to pick up shifts in a zero hour contract job. She's not looking for contractual maternity leave and wouldn't be entitled anyway.

Lower your pitchforks folks

If you're doing care work you're going to need a risk assessment done pretty sharpish. Have you done manual handling training yet? I think getting a zero hours contract was a wise thing to do in your circumstances. Your employer will probably be peeved but that's their problem. Good luck.

If employers didn't discriminate against pregnant women then there would be no need to hide pregnancies.

I think some of the posters should be directing their anger towards the discriminatory system, not a woman trying to avoid it.

I think they would only be a bit miffed for health and safety reasons...speak to them asap as they will need to do a risk assesment for you in which you will have a meeting to discuss what you can and cant manage and what they are not willing to let you do. Obviously this is because they need to make sure nothing happens that you could end up blaming them for.
Is there a union rep you could speak to before speaking to management? They cant refuse you hours. I think if there was a huge risk of harm to you they might suggest you leave but I believe they can't force it. If they try then you can consider an employment tribunal but that should be your last OP. Another thing to do is to call dwp and ask about your entitlement to statutory maternity pay...they will work out whether or not you are entitled to claim mat pay from this job if not eligible then I believe dwp will pay it for you. If you have a working partner living with you they will also take their details into account because there is now a paternity payment available (2 weeks) You would need to speak to dwp either way to receive your MATB1 certificate (proof of pregnancy) which is to be signed by midwife. It's very important to send this with your application for maternity pay/leave. Also take a copy of matb1 to send with your notice to go on leave/or quit.
I was also on 0 hour contract and it's quite tricky to figure it all out correctly. (Make sure you have a record of your hours and pay- will be on your pay slips- if your not sure of anything you can call tax credits for your info. If you crack on now it should all be in place before baby is due. Good luck and congratulations bumba27!

They cant refuse you hours.

I thought the whole point of zero-hours contracts was precisely that you can be given zero hours.

I know somene who was doing great in a cafe job on a 0 hours contract, they were going to promote her. Then when she asked about not having to lift heavy blxes upstairs as she was pregnant, they just stopped giving her shifts at all 🙁. Not sure what happened in the end.

MrsHathaway but they cannot choose not to give you hours for a discriminatory reason.

Obviously it can be difficult to prove, especially when just started, but in a case with say four zero hour workers all being offered regular work, and then one falls pregnant and they stop being offered despite no change in business requirement. Then it's more obvious, like anything though people on zero hour contracts are rarely in the power position.