To not tell work about pregnancy yet? (Teacher - timetabling)

[kmurray1]

Recently found out I’m pregnant (about 5 weeks) and ideally I’d wait until after the first scan to tell anyone. However, I’m a teacher and timetabling is being done now. Nothing is set in stone yet but I’ve been told I’ll likely have at least 2 exam classes next year (GCSE/A level). It’s a private school and we break up at the end of June, when I’ll be about 10 weeks.

WIBU to wait until 12 weeks to disclose my pregnancy? Or should I tell my line manager ASAP?

I understand the sentiment of this but it's not as straightforward as that for some people. I had losses, one late and just wouldn't be comfortable telling anyone early.

I'd tell my HoD because you know it's difficult to get a good maternity cover and it will be those students exam chances could affected. The earlier they know the better chance of advertising and attracting a good maternity cover. Just tell HoD to keep it confidential until to tell people. Congratulations.

Hello, also a teacher in a private school and about to return from mat leave! I waited until after the 12 week scan. In fact I waited until about 16 weeks. I told my HOD a couple of weeks before making it official with the Head and HR because we have a close relationship. However, schools are businesses and they will always protect themselves over you, so you have to protect yourself first and do what’s right for you, don’t feel pressured to reveal something deeply personal and private for the sake of their timetabling. I had the same thoughts about timetables but ultimately they just have to sort it out. You could always tell your HOD and Head on the last day of term if that felt like the right time.

At 5 weeks, I wouldn't say anything yet. If you had a scan now, you wouldn't even see anything.

At 10 weeks, yeah, you're more in the clear.

This is your job , you’re an employee, you die tomorrow, they replace you.

I’m an ex teacher who thought about this stuff too . But , this is your body, your personal life, and you deserve privacy.

Do not tell them until 12 weeks x

@kmurray1 As a headteacher I would really appreciate you telling me, explaining how early it is just so that we had the heads up before we timetabled. Your headteacher should keep it confidential anyway and not tell anyone.

Teacher here. I would probably tell the timetabler but ask them to keep it quiet.

I'm a teacher who had this same scenario early on in my pregnancy; I did tell my HoD because I had a Year 12 class going into Year 13, and a Year 10 class going into Year 11. It didn't feel right to not say anything knowing I'd be going on maternity in January and potentially leaving them in the lurch!

@kmurray1 I should also add that i'd like my staff to tell me this info before timetabling because it would then mean we could give them a class that would be easiest for them to manage to support them during their pregnancy (e.g no behavioural needs, or maybe as an intervention role for the year so no late parents evenings or reports etc) but appreciate that might not be the case everywhere!

Functionally you will be telling them after the summer break at about 14 weeks, it will become obvious very shortly after. I think the only fair thing to do is tell them at the end of term at about 10 weeks- because telling them at 12 is not logistically possible, ask them to be discrete and not circulate the news until after the break.

@miniworry as a woman and a mother, I find that rather offensive. Women fought hard to have equal rights and pregnancy is not an illness. Whilst there may be a need to make reasonable adjustments if a pregnant woman suffers difficult symptoms it is discriminatory to remove parts of a pregnant woman's role if she can fulfil them. When I was pg, albeit decades ago, I'd have been incandescent if a manager had said "oh don't attend that cpd seminar being rolled out at 6pm, or you've been taken off x team because the work will be hard. I'd also have had grounds to bring a sex discrimination case because my right to equal experience was being denied.

We have come a long way since 1960 when my MIL as a teacher had to leave at Easter, when the baby was due in July because it was unseemly to be pg in front of the children. She also had no mat leave and no job to return to, because women and mothers were treated differently and less preferentially than men. Not so long before 1960, married women had to leave teaching.

I think it’s too early to say. 10 weeks, so just before you break up, would be better. They can’t start advertising for a maternity cover when you’re only 5 weeks anyway.

I've experienced the food and bad of this. One pregnancy I told them early and they were totally wonderful and discrete about it. Another time it came out before I was necessarily ready for it to be company knowledge and they were really pushy about knowing my plans for mat leave and if I'd come back and on what terms etc. Which is why I hadn't wanted to tell them till later! appreciate it's helpful to know but it felt stressful. So would say it depends on the culture in your company.

But it's more than reasonable for a risk assessment to say no break/lunch duties after 30 weeks.
What the original post says isn't excluding the pregnant woman from work, it's supporting them.

The only thing i will say is if you want to tell them so they can take it into account on the timetable you need to say something in the next few weeks, and definitely by mid June.

After that point things will start to be set in stone to some extent and be difficult to change if it would require rescheduling if it means they won't be able to have 2 exam classes on at the same time.

But like I say, timetables change frequently and schools deal with it. People are ill, resign, etc and those happen more suddenly than maternity leave so don't stress about telling them sooner than you actually have to.

I agree with this, depending on how discrete you think your HoD would be. It would be particularly important if you teach in an area such as science where good maternity cover is more difficult to find. It might be that they'll restrict your teaching next year to GCSE which would be easier to cover.
If you don't think it would be difficult to find good cover in your subject I'd wait until after the 12 week scan, which logistically would be at the beginning of the academic year now.

@Hercisback1 exactly this! We do it with consultation of the pregnant member of staff of course- we are trying to help be supportive not undermine! Honestly can't win with some people...

It isn’t reasonable to assume until the risk assessment is actually done and makes that recommendation

The PP was not even suggesting less lunch duties but an altogether lesser role in terms of career development simply due to being pregnant. That is straightforward discrimination.

@kmurray1 there are health and safety precautions in certain careers ( healthcare or working with chemicals for eg) that mean for you and the baby’s safety , early disclosure is very important…so if there is anything eg. related to certain infections you might pick up from studentsI would always disclose. Having had awful sickness symptoms in all my pregnancies and also a miscarriage, I think there are more benefits than not in disclosing in jobs where you are not going to experience discrimination.

I would not tell them until 12 weeks. Hopefully all will be well but it is very early days. They will cope. People go off sick unexpectedly for lengthy spells, eg for cancer treatment, and they cope. Also, if something did go wrong and you had been written into a timetable of non exam groups you could be in for a dull year

Intervention teacher isn't less career development, it's more as it's a different role.

Missing parents evening is a huge perk!

@C8H10N4O2 I wasn't suggesting that what so ever! We would never consider a teacher who conducts intervention less in terms of career development. We offer this as an option if they wouldn't be seeing out the academic year simply so they don't have additional stresses such as parent admin/report writing etc. they still get paid the same and I'll be honest all of our teachers who have taken this up whilst pregnant have been hugely appreciative!

You can lose your baby at any point.

Exactly this 👏

Pregnancy isn't a disability and doesn't require reasonable adjustments.

It does however require adjustments to the role short term if required.due to the mother's request or the risk assessment.