To start a new job when pregnant

[Rara94]

Hi,
Just looking for some advice, I've just found out I'm around 4-5 weeks pregnant. Due to start a new job in the new year and stressed about what to do! Do I tell them now and hope they are ok with it or do I wait to tell them for as long as possible. Currently waiting on some checks to come back to start, although it is a term time position so wouldn't be starting any earlier than beginning of Janurary anyway.

Thanks

Leave it and start. You're very early, so personally I'd be waiting for your 12 wk scan.

I would start. Will you still get full maternity benefits or will you be starting too Kate for that? Are you currently working for another company?

Start. What else are you supposed to do?

Whether you'd been there 2 terms or 10 years they'd still need to find mat cover

You're not far along, go for it.

Not sure about maternity benefits, need to have a look into it. I'm concerned as I'll be on a 6 month probation period with monthly reviews and they may try and use some other reason and give me notice, which during that 6 months is only 1 week.

Look at it the other way- use it to test the water to see if they’d re actually a good employer and if you really want to work there. I was in the same position as you. Key things to consider:

1. You’re unlikely to qualify for maternity pay because unless they have a great maternity package, most employers need you to have been there 6 months before the SMP qualifying week, which essentially equates to starting work around the time of conception. If you don’t qualify you get maternity allowance but that is very little. See if you can find out the policy, and if you haven’t handed in your notice yet (if they haven’t finished the checks) it might be better financially for you to stay put, or at least make an educated decision.

2. Employer culture- what are they like in terms of family leave, flexi etc. Would you want to go back part time post baby? Are you expected to travel lots. Again all realistic considerations because life changes a lot when you have kids (esp young kids)

I was in the same boat as you, found out I was pregnant while pre- employment checks were happening. We did a massive pros and cons list for each job to see what worked best for our new situation. In the end, I told them before I told my family or had my scans. Maternity discrimination etc aside, My logic being if they didn’t respond well then they weren’t an employer I wanted to work for (my industry is very male dominated). They were fabulous, and so supportive which surprised me. I ended up starting work with them at 14 weeks pregnant. I didn’t qualify for SMP but the overall salary package post- maternity made up for it (short term pain, but so much better off now). I’m coming up to by 6 year anniversary there now and I definitely made the right move, but definitely worth weighing up all the options and making an educated choice!

OK so you tell them in a few months and they get rid of you. Is that worse than not having any job for the next 8 months?

I'd go ahead and start. Wait until after 12 week scan before saying anything as you're still very early on.
I had an interview and was offered a new job last year, 3 days later, I found out I was pregnant. HR took a while to get everything sorted so, by the time I started, I was 16 weeks pregnant. They had to move things around with me in terms of what kind of work I could do because, from 28 weeks, I would've had to be WFH because of COVID and everything at the time. It was all fine though. I wasn't eligible for SMP though so had to apply for MA - got it sorted pretty quickly though.

There's always a way - congrats on your new job and pregnancy 😁

A man who has just found his partner is 4-5 weeks pregnant wouldn’t even think about telling their new employer. So there is no reason you should either, there are employment laws in place to ensure you are not disadvantaged versus a non pregnant person.

As to the six month probation, I would actually think they would be especially careful in how they act for fear of being on the end of a discrimination claim.

Are you currently in a job? That makes a massive difference to your situation. If so is unresigning an option?

As to the six month probation, I would actually think they would be especially careful in how they act for fear of being on the end of a discrimination claim.

I second what @Aprilx has said here.
In my experience, employers are very, very cautious not to appear to be discriminating against a pregnant woman. Any workplace with a HR department would be actively trying to keep a pregnant woman hired for fear of appearing to be discriminatory and facing the repercussions.
The only time this doesn’t apply, it seems, is in small companies where they’re not receiving any HR advice, don’t have the knowledge, or just sometimes push their luck in the hope that the pregnant woman will accept and move on.