Boss asking for evidence of pregnancy

[Libra22]

I’ve just found out I’m 8 weeks pregnant! Which is a bit of a surprise but also very wanted. I perhaps stupidly shared the news with my boss, as I was excited, and it just came out, and now he is asking for ‘proof’ that I am pregnant.

I have only done a home pregnancy test so far, and booked an appointment with my doctor. What do I show him as ‘proof’? Will the doctor give me a note? I feel a bit like he’s pretending this isn’t happening as it will cause him a load of stress!

The midwife will give you a form. Your boss will have to wait for that

When you are booked in with a midwife you get a form issued by your midwife called MatB1. This gives an approx due date. Too early to be issued yet though.

You can’t give him any proof this early. How ridiculous of him! I would just put it back to him and ask him what proof you can show him??

Congratulations btw!

This wide ice will give you a MatB1 form but not until 25 weeks, so that will have to wait. Any employer should know this.

Once you’ve registered with your midwife you will be sent a letter for your booking appointments and 12 week scan, you can use those as ‘proof’ in the meantime to evidence why you need time off for antenatal appointments.

That should say ‘the midwife’ not this wide ice…

Well you don't legally need to tell him until you're 25 weeks gone.

I know you’re excited but don’t tell anyone else and make sure your boss knows it’s entirely confidential

Be clearly hasn't had a pregnant member of staff before

I work on HR asking for the form once the midwife gives it to you is totally standard and we mention this to anyone who let's us know they are pregnant no matter how many weeks.

You get appointments for antenatal appointments would he accept that

Oh sounds like he's going to be fun. Does he want proof of every appointment too as I only got letters for scans but not for midwife appointments.

You can't get ur mat B form until u are 20wks pregnant. I didn't see my midwife until 24/25 weeks as 20wks was scan not a midwife appointment. My work did ask me for it and I said I'll get it when I next see the midwife.

Is it because the job maybe considered risky so it will trigger some changes?

Give him a pot of pee

Give him a condom with a hole punched in the end of it.

He sounds like a nightmare.

I would send him an email and say this is confirmation of your pregnancy and ask about completing a risk assessment.

At this stage, your word is sufficient proof that you are pregnant.

@Babynames2

This wide ice will give you a MatB1 form but not until 25 weeks, so that will have to wait. Any employer should know this.

Once you’ve registered with your midwife you will be sent a letter for your booking appointments and 12 week scan, you can use those as ‘proof’ in the meantime to evidence why you need time off for antenatal appointments.

I got mine far sooner than that. I got it at my first midwife appt which was around eight weeks.

For now just ask him what specifically he wants as proof. He'll either say the MatB1 form in which case you can say you've not had it yet and will give it him as soon as you do, or he won't know what he wants, in which case he'll look a bit daft.

You don’t usually provide proof… and it’s hard to get any at this stage, because they don’t verify your pregnancy, they take your word for it.

You’ll have scan photos from 12 and 20 weeks, and antenatal appointments around 16, 24, 28 weeks, and so on. But you won’t get the official proof for work until your 24/25 week appointment, it can’t be issued before then; and it’s a form that tells your work that you’re pregnant and you use to apply for maternity pay…

It’s quite unusual to tell your work so early, so perhaps he’s presumed you are further on? They shouldn’t ask for proof to do risk assessments etc.

Really the only reason an employer might need to know before the matb1 form is given would be to do a risk assessment but how significant that is would depend on your work. Or if you have to be signed off work for maternity related reasons I would expect that to be on the form from the doctor.

And in return ask him when he intends to arrange a risk assessment of your working conditions. Your employer has to do this.

Sounds like he's gonna be a pain the neck for the next seven months!

He doesn't need 'proof' until you get your Mat1B which will be between 22-25 weeks. You don't need to legally provide anything until that point.

However if he is going to be an arse then after your booking in appt (about 10 -12 weeks) you will get a letter or an email for your 12 week scan which you could show him.

At this point the only affect on work is the requirement to give you paid time off for ante-natal appointments.

You can share this link with him which sets out his responsibilities as an employer www.acas.org.uk/managing-your-employees-maternity-leave-and-pay

@Polly2345 Do you mean your maternity exemption? I got that at 10 weeks - you shouldn’t have been given your matB1 before 20 weeks, your midwife would be in trouble for that. You don’t even have an adjusted EDD then.

[quote TakeYourFinalPosition]@Polly2345 Do you mean your maternity exemption? I got that at 10 weeks - you shouldn’t have been given your matB1 before 20 weeks, your midwife would be in trouble for that. You don’t even have an adjusted EDD then.[/quote]
I do! So sorry. Totally ignore me.

I'll stop offering terrible advice now and go to bed!

First tell him that he’ll have to wait until you get a MATB form at your first antenatal appointment in a month or so & that’s standard practice/legal HR procedure, in fact you don’t actually have to proved proof until 15 weeks before the birth. Then ask him why he doesn’t believe you & tell him that asking for proof is weird and insulting (also next time wait until at least 12 weeks, sadly some people are dicks, it’s lovely you are excited but it’s unnecessary/unwise to tell your workplace or colleagues until it’s necessary).

Whist I’m at it, some advice for later on, bearing in mind you’re a sharer ;) do not tell a single soul other than the father of your child which baby names you are considering until the day you name your child once they are born. You will either encounter judgement (a raised eyebrow, a “I knew an awful X at school” or worst case encounter a name stealer…). Worth noting. Sharing isn’t always wise!

I got mine far sooner than that. I got it at my first midwife appt which was around eight weeks

I think you might have been given something else as they are not allowed to issue MAT1Bs until at least 20 weeks into the pregnancy.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/maternity-certificate-mat-b1-guidance-for-health-professionals/maternity-certificate-form-mat-b1-guidance-on-completion

Are you sure he’s asking for proof right now? At my work it’s standard to give a matb1. Are you sure he’s just telling you the company will need proof but is just not specifying when. As someone else said you don’t legally have to tell your work until later in your pregnancy (around the time you get a matb1).

I’d just tell him you’ll give him that form when you have it but it won’t be until later on and see what he says. If he insists you can check with hr.