Job Offer withdrawn after informing employer that I am pregnant.

[Char1997]

Hi all,

I originally posted this on as a pregnancy thread. As the situation has evolved I have been advised to post on here. I was offered a job yesterday afternoon and although I know I was under no obligation to inform them, I told the employer that I was expecting in December. Since then I have had the job offer withdrawn as they felt that I “misled them” and wasn’t honest. Is anyone able to give me some advice if I were to take this further.

Congratulations!

Congratulations. I've just read the full thread. Outraged for you. Good luck with outcome!

update: have received and email from employment tribunal with the company’s response. They basically outlined everything I have said from her perspective (including details about her partners brothers stage 4 blood cancer and the previous employees drug addiction - playing the sympathy card i feel) so as she responded it will go to the hearing which is 6th of may. I feel i may need to speak to someone to get some advice as currently planning on representing myself.

I’m not sure the cancer and addiction are relevant...it doesn’t change the law!

Definitely get some advice if you can.

So is that meant to be their excuse!?

Hi Char Have you had much luck getting help? If you contact the tribunal office they should be able to arrange a walk around, with one of the clerks. They can explain the process but not give advice.

@char1997 how's it going? Any news?

Hi @char1997. I don't know where you are based but this organisation might be able to help you www.thefru.org.uk/Employment-Self-Referral

I understand that many employment cases settle at the door of the tribunal, and it seems your case is strong, so you might want to be prepared to cut a deal beforehand at the final hour. Get some advice to on what is a good settlement figure in your case, start the conversation higher than that and don't accept less than what you have been advised.

Did you check your house insurance for legal costs cover

Gosh, May is a long time to wait. Hope all is well with baby.

Good luck rooting for you

Hi all!

Thank you for keep coming back to check on me! life has been hectic with a new born so I haven’t even really had time to think about the hearing at the moment.
I’m definitely going to speak to a professional and see what advice I can get.
In regards to the house insurance, I don’t own my own home and currently live with my mum however she did say someone told her before that It may be able to cover me so going to look into that!
Looking back on the excuses and her reasonings and the emails I have, I feel relatively confident that I have a chance of winning this.
Again thank you all and I will continue to keep you all updated!❤️

❤👌🙏

Good luck and congratulations on your baby dd! You've won there already

@amoamasamat I most definitely have, she is amazing❤️

The very best of luck!

Hoping for a positive outcome for you!

Personally I would have told them at interview!

But that's just me.

That's nice Miljea

Do you think it's OK that the conpany broke the law? Or would you rather focus on your own personal choice about what you'd have done in an interview?

I cannot believe the people saying "I would have told them earlier.". Can they not see the company would not have offered the job. They would have made up some bullshit excuse as to why.

But most importantly, can you not see this is WRONG. If women are to be penalised in the workplace for our ability to be pregnant then there will never be any kind of equality with men.

@Miljea I understand that’s obviously what you would have done.
However, at the time I was just 19 weeks pregnant, looking for a job so that I would be able to support my new family and go back to once my daughter was born. I had no legal obligation to tell them at the interview just as it is illegal for them to ask in an interview. they would have had to of been told 6 weeks later. They made up an excuse to retract my offer of employment just as they would of in extending one to me if I had told them before.
It’s an awful position to be in when deciding whether to tell an interviewer before and potentially jeopardise your interview and not being much point in even having one if you feel you’re not going to get the job anyway. It’s exactly why this legislation is in place, to protect women in that position.
I hope nothing like this ever happens to you.

@Char1997 have a look at bar pro bono unit, or weareadvocate.org.uk this is basically free support from volunteer barristers

char in my smaller workplaces, I suspect my card would have been forever marked had I not told them at interview that I was pregnant.

I might have found myself somehow not being sent on that course, taking a couple of years longer to reach that position. It may not have been comfortable because, despite all the regulation in the world, they might feel I'd tricked them.

I know it's not fair, but it is the way it is, and why a lot of companies either don't employ women of child-bearing age, or certainly not into harder to replace positions.

As for it 'never happening to me', actually, I did tell an employer of my intention to start a family but it was a company heavily staffed by young women (HCP), and you had to have worked for them for a year to gain maternity benefits, anyway.

I was pregnant 3 months later, and left after I'd been there 11 months.

You will win this case, however, due to the law.

Glad you and DD are well

Yes there’s a good chance that if your mother’s household insurance includes legal expenses it will also cover you as a family member living there. I’d ring them ASAP if I were you (actually I’d have rung them several months ago but I do understand that you’ve had other things on your mind).