My manager keeps telling me not to have a baby

[MakingLemonadealways]

At least once a month! It's gone from jokingly commenting we can't afford the cover to full blown, seriously please don't go on mat leave we wouldn't survive! Very awkward, I can feel myself respond more and more pettily as the audacity of it is kicking in!

I mean this is illegal surely. Yup we’ve all had the jokes like this at work haven’t we. Wears a bit thin. Warrants a blunt response in my eyes…

Ps obviously you know this but don’t let this put you off having a baby….. or finding a new job…..

If it does bother you, say something, as PP said it’s illegal to ask about pregnancy plans and it’s not okay if it makes you uncomfortable

The contents of your uterus is no one’s business but yours.

However, if it were me I’d probably get pregnant just to annoy him.

Make a jokey comment about how they'll afford the lawsuit. Hopefully that'll nip it in the bud.

Whilst it's not legal for him to pressure you over this, I completely understand where he's coming from, small companies can really struggle to cover maternity, especially specialist roles, Dp really struggled when his most senior female member of staff went on maternity though she chose to come back pt after 4 months then full time after 8

This is discrimination

It is a struggle when staff require mat leave - however I am curious as to what job would fold on the basis of a mat leave ( it is expensive to the employer but these things should be built into planning)
I would be writing down days and times this was said - it’s not acceptable, not even in the weirdest joke.

“Haha, I’ll have to look for another job if you carry on talking like that!”
if he asks if you mean it, the answer is “I don’t know, do you?”

Your manager is completely out of order and I would tell them that. You need to be direct. If it continues I would go over their head. Is there HR, Owner Manager's manger to go to.

Get pregnant just for the sake of it😆

You should have a baby as and when it suits you, not the boss.

I'd ignore his comments and possibly somehow get them in writing just in case...

As you are such a valued employee, I would demand a substantial pay rise.

It would be particularly pleasing to do so when pregnant.

Tell him you're expecting quads and any more of his negative comments and you will have to be off sick due to the stress he is causing.

"seriously please don't go on mat leave we wouldn't survive!"

Ask your boss how would they survive if you got hit by a bus? Or got a better offer from a higher-paying company? Or went on long-term sick for, say, cancer treatment?

I'd be highlighting to them that any company that is dependent on one solitary worker really needs to start a serious cross-training programme NOW. Oh, and I'd be asking for a pay-rise too, if I'm so essential to the company's survival! I'd be making my boss seriously regret opening their gob on this matter.

My old boss (who I got on really well with) used to say 'don't you dare die'. It was banter.

I'd tell him that a court case and payoff as a result of saying that would be a lot costlier.

I would reply really seriously ‘so you’re saying I can never have a family?’

and leave the air of silence to see what he replies.

I'd keep replying- well I'm planning on 10...

Has the manager ever put it in writing? Isn't this sex-based discrimination?

I'd email them (for paper trail) and outline the comments and how they make you feel and how inappropriate they are.

'The more you mention it, the more I think about it, so...'

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-66962519

The words he is saying to you are similar to this story
I would tell him that it is not the 1950s & that no further discussion on this subject should occur in the future.
It sounds like gender harassment. I doubt that he would be saying the same things to a male of your age.

Hi Manager I had loads of sex this month so I may get pregnant and if I am I will cal it after you - a fucking twat - now fuck off before I report you to HR

or Hi Manager I won't be pregnant this month as I had it up my arse

That kind of thing

I had a manager say frequently "you can't leave, I won't let you". We had a great working relationship. When I eventually gave in my notice he said, multiple times "have you changed your mind yet?"

Sometimes people are just joking around, not everything is meant to be taken seriously.

Regularly start the day with “crikey my period is late” and “have you had sex without a condom and not got pregnant” etc.

@TheLightSideOfTheMoon @gotomomo @FudgeSundae @VisitorfromAbroad2 @BoohooWoohoo and others

Why are you all assuming the manager is a man?!