Applying for a new job while pregnant

[Traveller3367]

7 months pregnant
Saw a job that I thought I would be good at
Applied without mentioning I was pregnant
Been offered the role and have informed employer I am pregnant and due to go on mat leave soon
They will see if they can get cover but I have offered to decline the position if they cannot.
My question is was I being unreasonable in applying in the first place?
(Ps I wasn't hiding my pregnancy. I didn't know when was best to mention it. Didn't want employer to think I was using it against them if they declined me. Also I valued the chance to network and get some interview practice. Was not expecting to get the role as a big jump for me career wise)

@JamMakingWannaBe
Thanks :)

I'm mystified though that in a job someone could be in for 5-10 years, one mat leave is an issue. It does make me think we need more mandated paternity leave.

I’m not sure why you are mystified; the only given is that the heavily pregnant appointee will be going on maternity leave after a couple of months. It would be great if they then come back and give years of brilliant service but, at this stage, it is pure speculation that they will!

Congratulations @Traveller3367. Ive employed v pregnant person. She was best for role! She started , she worked up till her waters broke and came back 6 months later. We managed her maternity like we would any staff absence ie my male colleague who needed emergency surgery and was off for 6 months!!!

OP, you clearly don't believe that you were unreasonable, thus your post is a waste of time. Did you just want your ego stroked/ unnecessary validation?!
I think it is unreasonable to apply for a job at 7 months pregnant and not be explicit about this when applying/during your interview.

@Traveller3367

What an interesting discussion *@frozenyoghurt4* I think this is why I applied for the role despite being so heavily pregnant as I wanted to challenge these misogynistic views that have become so entrenched As a PP said earlier, we've been conditioned to feel this way (re the guilt) Glad I applied for the role and glad I posted this as it's shocking how many people have negative views and would discriminate. Clearly women's rights still have a long way to go

🤣🤣🤣 Give over!

You did not do this for women or their rights!

Why did you ask, if you had already decided you weren’t being unreasonble.

Oh, and you totally ABU.

@CecilyP

Very poor advice. Do not do this!! Women should NEVER disclose a pregnancy (if they can help it) until after a job offer has been made. Why give any organisation of any size the opportunity to discriminate against you?

Additionally, while this is good for the pregnant candidate, this will ensure a time lag between the recruitment process and the employer knowing that they will have to recruit temporary cover.

I don’t care. Organisations are legally obliged to not discriminate against certain protected characteristics no matter if it’s an inconvenience to them.

Curious though, what week of pregnancy should the cut off be when applying for jobs?

Is this troll post?
Surely no one can be this oblivion and up their own backside at the same time?

@SalsaLove

OP red flags:

1. Doesn’t write well enough or maturely enough for a “senior management” role
2. Pregnant people
3. “Lots more babies ASAP”

@esloquehay

OP, you clearly don't believe that you were unreasonable, thus your post is a waste of time. Did you just want your ego stroked/ unnecessary validation?! I think it is unreasonable to apply for a job at 7 months pregnant and not be explicit about this when applying/during your interview.

Why should OP be explicit about her pregnancy at interview stage? All this does is give an organisation an opportunity to discriminate against her which fortunately is illegal.

To those who say OP was wrong, a few questions:

At what stage of pregnancy is it morally acceptable, in your opinion, for women to apply for a new job?

At what stage of pregnancy are women morally obliged, in your opinion, to tell interviewers they are pregnant?

At what stage of pregnancy are women morally obliged, in your opinion, to tell their employer they are pregnant?

@candlelightsatdawn

I used to think it was men held women back so when I watched programs like the handmaids tale, I used to think what are these women doing.

But actually it's a pretty good rule of thumb, men at at the top but it's the women who do the most of the holding other women back. Look at the comments here 😵‍💫

How fitting that you used the expression ”rule of thumb”, do you know where the saying comes from?

I got a job while 5 months pregnant. I was a temp there, hadn’t mentioned my pregnancy but told them when they said to go for the permanent position. My boss told me to go for it. They need best person for the job and if that was me then they work around the mat leave. I only took 6 months (which was a bit short for me) but now I’m back and cracking on. It wasn’t a massive issue for the company (they don’t need to pay you mat leave so you won’t cost them more) and as long as you are there for a while you have a chance to make the wait worth their while

@ReeseWitherfork

what's your solution to the very real problem of lost revenue/recruiting effort?

It's not a "problem" though is it. Women going on maternity leave isn't a problem. Would you call annual leave, bereavement leave or sick leave a problem? It's part and parcel of having employees. The added benefit of a new employee going off on mat leave versus an established employee is that you've just done a recruitment round and likely met other candidates who may very well be suitable and willing cover.

How many candidates applying for a permanent role would be willing to take up a temporary one? Annual leave, bereavement or sick leave is not a problem because the first is owed to the employee and the other two are unforeseen and out of employee control. My acid test is : would you hire an employee who (immediately upon hiring) stated that they were going on a 9 month holiday already booked and paid for. What's the difference between this and being pregnant? The analogy may be a bit of a stretch but the key here is a known period of absence. Why is being pregnant supposed to be protected?

TTC is different because you don't know when you'll get pregnant and is perfectly acceptable. Furthermore you'll have already been in the job for enough time to recruit and train your replacement.

For,those who have insulted my sister, she currently employs 15 women who have, at various points in the many years they've worked for her, been on mat leave.

She works in an industry where over 50's are discrimated against on a regular basis. She employs people who are experienced and reliable and it is actually insulting to assume that an older woman might not have the skills to do that job (after 30 odd years in the business).

She also employs women and men who have caring duties for elderly parents.

She employs three women with learning disabilities.

What she won't hire now, after years of training and investing in women who come in pregnant, fuck off for a years mat leave and then return pregnant - are younger women.

Her company has benefitted massively from investing in older women who were put on the scrap heap by their previous jobs. She now reaps the benefit of their experience and knowledge of the industry.

@youvegottenminuteslynn

To those who say OP was wrong, a few questions:

At what stage of pregnancy is it morally acceptable, in your opinion, for women to apply for a new job?

At what stage of pregnancy are women morally obliged, in your opinion, to tell interviewers they are pregnant?

At what stage of pregnancy are women morally obliged, in your opinion, to tell their employer they are pregnant?

Nobody is 'morally obliged' to tell anyone anything not in their best interest. But the employer isn't morally obliged to have the best view of the employee either. At 'what stage' depends on the specific role and nature of the industry.

Hats off to your sister @SecretSpAD. Far from being “a bit of a cunt”, she’s favouring a group of women that is routinely discriminated against in the workplace. A group of women, in addition, who didn’t benefit from the maternity benefits and employment protection that are available now. I’m really pleased it’s working out for her.

@SecretSpAD

For,those who have insulted my sister, she currently employs 15 women who have, at various points in the many years they've worked for her, been on mat leave.

She works in an industry where over 50's are discrimated against on a regular basis. She employs people who are experienced and reliable and it is actually insulting to assume that an older woman might not have the skills to do that job (after 30 odd years in the business).

She also employs women and men who have caring duties for elderly parents.

She employs three women with learning disabilities.

What she won't hire now, after years of training and investing in women who come in pregnant, fuck off for a years mat leave and then return pregnant - are younger women.

Her company has benefitted massively from investing in older women who were put on the scrap heap by their previous jobs. She now reaps the benefit of their experience and knowledge of the industry.

Exactly. There is a world of difference between being on mat leave - on the job - and being hired while pregnant.

@DillonPanthersTexas if your business is growing getting in mat covers is the perfect way to add extra staff - doing temp to perm

But apart from that it’s just incredibly misogynistic. Does this sister also screen out any man who lists skiing or touch rugby as an interest on their cv? After all there’s a chance they’ll be off for months at a time. Assume she also never hires anyone with a disability who might need time off? Or anyone in their 20s who might want to quit and go travel the world? Oh no, it’s just women who get shat on by these poor excuses for womankind.

Sorry, but this really boils my p1ss. I have worked in early stage, high growth companies for a big chunk of my career and I thank my lucky stars I’ve never worked with or for such crappy attitudes - it’s just lazy management and leadership and it enrages me that people seem to think it’s acceptable

So @TractorAndHeadphones what should
women who lose their jobs while pregnant do? Just go and live in a skip for 18 months til mat leave is over? Ch1st on a bike this is depressing.

@fruitandflowers

So *@TractorAndHeadphones* what should women who lose their jobs while pregnant do? Just go and live in a skip for 18 months til mat leave is over? Ch1st on a bike this is depressing.

18 months? Wherever did that figure come from? You don't qualify for SMP until you have worked for your employer for 26 weeks when you reach the 15th week before your due date. If the employer starts your benefits from the day you work then they're likely to be big and stable enough to hire a temp anyway so there's no issue.

But apart from that it’s just incredibly misogynistic

You probably want to check out what misogyny means. It’s not favouring one group of women over another.

@Blossomtoes

Hats off to your sister *@SecretSpAD*. Far from being “a bit of a cunt”, she’s favouring a group of women that is routinely discriminated against in the workplace. A group of women, in addition, who didn’t benefit from the maternity benefits and employment protection that are available now. I’m really pleased it’s working out for her.

Thank you .

What is actually misogynistic are the employers in my sisters field who "employ" young female graduates as interns (so they don't have to pay them) and then exploit them through long hours, grunt work and false promises.
What is also misogynistic (and possibly illegal) is making older women in senior positions redundant and then employing a young woman with no experience on the basis that she better fits the face of the company and is cheaper.

But no. Pick up on the point that my sister prefers to employer older staff that won't fuck off for a year after being in the job 5 mins.