AIBU to not tell work H&S I'm pregnant just yet?

[m4rdybum]

I have to attend a session of health and safety training in two weeks, and must fill in a questionnaire beforehand outlining any pre-existing conditions. One of the questions is "are you pregnant?".

(For reference, I have an office job and it will only be light loading and the boring "lift with your knees" type training to cover their backs. I don't do anything strenuous).

I'll be 15 weeks the day after the training and was hoping to put off telling work until I'm around 17-20 weeks if I can pull it off. I'm not showing yet and have a bit of a belly beforehand.

On the form, it merely states that no responsibility will be assumed by the company if I don't declare a pre-existing condition on the form and it also says it will be treated in confidence.

But- I don't trust that it will be kept in confidence and I'm also worried they will turn me away from the training and my manager will then know.

Do you think I'll be okay to not say anything and obviously just take it steady/pretend to be a weakling if anything seems too much strain?

I wouldn't be putting off telling work that long. What will you say when you need to go for appointments? Don't they need to risk assess?

What is the issue with your manager knowing? Have you been taking annual leave for appointments?

If it’s your first you might get away with hiding it that long but presumably when you later give them your dates they will realise you lied on the training course form. I’m nearly 20 weeks with my second and applied to a new role internally last week, I’d love them to have not known when I submitted my application but there is absolutely no hiding it and I think people wondering is worse than just being honest with them.

Why are you holding off so long? You need to get a risk assessment done, it's for your own safety.

But- I don't trust that it will be kept in confidence

have you any foundation for that ?

Yabu. If they don't keep it in confidence when they say they will it is a data breach surely?

I told my manager at 13 weeks he has kept it entirely confidential and even asked if he was ok to let our HR manager know so risk assessments could be done. I'm on secondment and it only started in march so I was worried about what the agency I've been seconded to would say. I've now told my colleagues etc, but what's your concern with filling in a form and telling your manager, they can't divulge your personal information, you do have rights around time off for appointments though, which presumably you are missing out on

In regards to appointments, they have all fallen during already booked annual leave, and my next two are the same.

I wanted to wait just a little longer as I have only just come out of my 6 month probationary period (by like, a week), so find the situation a little awkward.

My manager is great but also can be a bit exasperated when it comes to maternity leave. Just a few comments in general have been made - not HR reporting worthy.

Also, all my training files, including the questionnaire, will be sent to my manager to upload onto my personnel file after the session, as with all training.

Hi.

I’d be inclined to tell them just before you have to fill out the questionnaire. I lied to my workplace as I didn’t want them to know any it turned round and bit me on the bum as I got in trouble and caused myself months of stress worry and panic! Not what you want when pregnant. For the sake of telling them it’s probably best just to cover your back

Can you go to the training walking stiffly and claim that you pulled your back the previous night? Something that means you won't have to actually do anything, but you'll still have the training ticked off.

And congrats on your pregnancy.

I think you should tell them but stress your desire for confidence to your manager. I did this with my first pregnancy and it was fine - only my manager and HR knew until I was ready to make it common knowledge at 27 weeks.

Congratulations though

You should tell them. It's unfair on them not to know for the training. Why do you want to hide it for so long?

I have to attend a session of health and safety training in two weeks, and must fill in a questionnaire beforehand outlining any pre-existing conditions. One of the questions is "are you pregnant?".

Also, surely not a good idea to explicitly lie in answer to a specific question ? One thing to not tell them, but another thing to knowingly lie ?

You are worried that your Manager will react negatively to knowing you are pregnant. Just think about a months’ time when he knows that you are pregnant and you lied on a form. He has no right to be annoyed about your pregnancy, but every right to feel that you are untrustworthy. If your lie causes an incident while you are training both the Manager and HR may have a case against you. I would find it hard to work with someone who behaved this way.

I am so sorry to be blunt, but I think you are being very irresponsible. H&S at work is something people really had to fight for, The H&S officers work really hard to keep employees safe. Many of the things go that go wrong in Work places are caused by employees thinking they Know better.

The solution is to speak to HR, tell them of your pregnancy and that you want it kept confidential. Then ask them if anything on the training course will be detrimental to you.

I think you could be causing yourself more trouble by not telling them. Once they do know then they will also know you lied on the questionnaire. I'd rather my bosses knew I was pregnant than knew I was a liar. You and the company are jointly responsible for health and safety in the workplace, your responsibility is to notify them, their responsibility is to risk assess and make any necessary changes to your working conditions.

If you delibrately lie and something happens then you have limited recourse under the law. Your only legitimate choices are to miss the training day due to being ill, or to tell the truth.

I've told my manager today, so all sorted.