To accept this new job role?

[Knickknackpadwag]

Without going into heaps of detail, I am a civil servant and I was recently successful at interview for a role at what is technically a level transfer in terms of responsibility but is (thankfully) more money - a significant salary increase. Given the current restrictions, the interview was carried out remotely. I didn't declare at interview that I am actually 7 months pregnant and it wasn’t obvious during my interview (bump under table). From an HR perspective I think not declaring my pregnancy was the right thing to do because the CS would hate for any sort of pregnancy discrimination to pop up, but the role itself is in a very male dominated environment and I’m now worried about accepting the job offer as I think it will go down like a lead balloon that I won’t actually be able to start for another year. Part of me thinks that is part-and-parcel of civil service work, that flexibility and accommodation of working families. Another part of me is reasonable enough to understand how bloody annoying it must be to recruit someone only to find out they won’t be starting for ages. The post is currently gapped by someone on temporary promotion trying to cover two desks. WIBU to accept this job, or should I turn it down and chalk it up to good interview experience (and try and find another opportunity post-Mat leave)?
YABU - shouldn’t have even applied, leave it here and turn down the offer
YANBU - go for it, accept the offer, who cares whether you take mat leave at the start of your role, halfway through or at the end? Life happens.

It's a tough one.. Although you hold no loyal to your new work colleagues yet as you don't know them.. I'd say if I was a coworker of yours and found out our new employee wasn't starting for a year.. I'd feel pretty annoyed..
Will they even still hold the job open for you? Presumably you haven't signed a contract yet? I know employers can't discriminate on pregnancy grounds but I'm not sure why you interviewed at 7 months pregnant 🤔

I would say b - it’s not super considerate but if you really want the job, that’s what you need to do.

Presumably they are hiring because they need someone in the role now...not in 12 months?

Honestly I’d withdraw from the role so they can offer it to someone else that was interviewed - save them going through interviews again.

I know technically there are no issues with what you’ve done, I think realistically it’s a bit shitty.

I wouldn’t be massively impressed if I was covering two jobs, we hired additional labour to help out and that person then turned round and said I can’t start until 2022.

I think you should accept the job. Don't do yourself out of a good opportunity based on what you think strangers might think! Even if they are annoyed, they'll be over it by the time you are back!

I interviewed for my current role at 7 months pregnant. The employer will likely offer one of the other candidates the mat leave cover position. That's what my current boss told my colleagues he would do after I was hired but he never did. None of my colleagues have ever held it against me though because he was the one making the decision re cover, not me. I'm still happily in the role six years later.

@Pebbledashery

It's a tough one.. Although you hold no loyal to your new work colleagues yet as you don't know them.. I'd say if I was a coworker of yours and found out our new employee wasn't starting for a year.. I'd feel pretty annoyed.. Will they even still hold the job open for you? Presumably you haven't signed a contract yet? I know employers can't discriminate on pregnancy grounds but I'm not sure why you interviewed at 7 months pregnant 🤔

I interviewed for my current role at seven months pregnant because I was more than qualified for the role and it was a great opportunity.

Would you agree to start sooner - for example take 6 months mat leave? I was only off 6 months with both mine as I couldn't afford any longer.

You should really declare to them as I know companies aren't supposed to discriminate but essentially they would need to recruit again as you will need to be covered while you're off.

Can you accept it and let them know you are pregnant at the time so they can potentially offer their second favourite a fixed term role or something similar?

Actually I probably wouldn't take it because I would want to start a new job and build relationships with my colleagues not start and then leave for mat leave straight away. Legally it's fine but I just wonder if it's going to cause you stress and worry during your mat leave because you know you might have pissed off the department you are set to join. I think I'd have declared at interview actually but I also see why you didn't.

As a civil servant, I would say b. They will appoint another tmp or leave the current one in abs tmp to their substantive role and forget about it all until you're due back.

I have known people arrive in the hob pregnant and have to go off within a few months of starting, people take back to back maternity leave years, people take back to back maternity leaves and then resign. It's all described in the civil service HR policies, it is all enshrined in equality law, and you shouldn't feel ashamed for doing it. It is all completely above board legally precisely to level (or attempt to level) the opportunities available to men abs women.

Good luck in your new role

Take it- they can’t discriminate against you as you are covered by the Equality Act.

This is a common situation - if you want it, take the job! They will either find cover or leave the current person on TP while you’re gone.

I think you should take it. They potentially liked another candidate and may offer them fixed term as your cover.

Accept it !

Thanks all. See, a split response here! Pretty much reflects all my internal conflict. I’ve emailed the HR team managing my recruitment to explain and will speak to the line manager once I’ve had guidance from HR. Completely agree with all those saying I should pipe up sooner rather than later so they can offer another candidate the mat leave position (assuming the person in TMP doesn’t want/qualify for it).
@HappyAsASandboy thank you for your perspective, it is helpful to hear from someone who understands the CS HR intricacies.
@Pebbledashery I applied because it’s quite a niche area and I am qualified for the role, and I’m not particularly happy where I am at the moment and thought it would be good to have something to look forward to on return from mat leave (I know I would be dreading returning to current post). Plus, 30% pay rise...

Urgh this the reason people end up reluctant to hire women.

@Hankunamatata - oh do be quiet with your causal misogyny, women didn't ask to be the sex that has to grow the babies?

OP please please please take the job. You don't deserve to miss out just because it's women stuck carrying babies. Your partner should step up and take more of the parental leave to enable you to return to work and make the most of the opportunity.

Women literally threw themselves under horses so we could have better lives and more independence.

If it is any help I work with someone who does recruitment for the CS and they have hired a member of staff who is pregnant and will be in the job all of two minutes. They have found her replacement with an EOI

I applied for my job before I got pregnant, interviewed at 6 months and got offered the job the day I went on mat leave. I started the job the day I came back from mat leave. You are doing yourself a disservice if you do not take the job. I would strongly advise you to accept the job on CS jobs and then talk to them

Not Cs but I work in a male orientated public service role. I was promoted at 8 months pregnant and they kept the role open for me for my 12 months mat leave. The only difference was that they knew I was pregnant at interview stage. I have more than excelled at my job since returning. I would take the job in your situation.

@waterbottle123 perhaps completely disgruntled than being a misogynist. Im in an overwork nhs dept and someone has done exactly this - so no remember of staff for a year that we desperately need AND no they wont cover a replacement in the short term so we struggle on. Perhaps I shouldn't blame the person but the system but it's hard when we that one person would make so much difference to our team.

[quote Hankunamatata]@waterbottle123 perhaps completely disgruntled than being a misogynist. Im in an overwork nhs dept and someone has done exactly this - so no remember of staff for a year that we desperately need AND no they wont cover a replacement in the short term so we struggle on. Perhaps I shouldn't blame the person but the system but it's hard when we that one person would make so much difference to our team.[/quote]
Well that's the NHS's fault for having crap policy/HR/ whatever it is that prevents them employing temp cover. Not the fault of the pregnant woman who has the audacity to want to work.

Theybeill either be ok with it and supportive or pissed off. If the former, they would have most likely been if you’d told the, at the interview, and in addition value your honesty.

If they are pissed off, they will feel that you’ve played them and are most likely not to forget it and make things much more difficult when you are back.

This is why I would have opted for telling them then and certainly as soon as possible afterwards.

I would take it. CS aren’t going to take the job away.

I would do as a man would do if they had an equivalent situation- what’s best for me!

Take it OP! Congratulations!