Job Offer withdrawn after informing employer that I am pregnant.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 Since then I have had the job offer withdrawn as they felt that I “misled them” and wasn’t honest.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.

Can’t believe the company wrote you those emails. Sorry to pile on! Good luck OP.

Keep us updated OP. The company’s response is laughable. They know they are on dodgy ground and are desperately trying to walk it back.

You should def sue them. That’s awful. You don’t have to be ‘up front’ about being pregnant. In the same way you don’t have to tell them your religion or who you have sex with, what genitals you have. A person might be annoyed that it’s happened, but employment law is there to stop exactly this. They are awful. They are also idiots for putting it in writing, so deserve to be sued.
Let us k ow how it goes?
Sorry this happens to you x

Good on you for fighting it.
It's obvious discrimination and I bet she's crapping herself now.

This is clearly discrimination.

However, will you still want to work for this company? I can’t see the working environment being pleasant for you.

Some people seem to have misunderstood - she doesn’t need to speak to her brother - she needs to speak to her colleague who isn’t in because HIS brother is seriously unwell.

That’s what her response email actually says. So it may still be a small company - but it’s not clear proof!

I'm concerned about the people saying "oh I wouldn't be concerned". You need the full facts, potential costs, before the op can make that decision, and seeking legal advice is prudent.

Just because some random on the Internet has deep pockets, doesn't mean rhe op does,

Your email response is spot on. She is now back peddling at a million miles per hour. Don't engage any further with them until you've sought proper advice.

My last but one promotion was secured following an interview at approx 34 weeks. Been in my current job following further promotion 6 months ago and due again in Dec like you.

It doesn't have to be like this, you don't want to work for them! However I would take a stance and take them to the cleaners for the pure cheek of it!

I hope she takes the same approach with soon to be fathers, given that they are now entitled to take almost a year of shared parental leave...

The fact they have written in the email they feel misled about your pregnancy is hilarious. That's literally a slam dunk against them.

If they had any sense they would have sent a generic email saying that due to unforeseen business circumstances they are no longer recruiting for the position, so it would not be intrinsically linked to pregnancy.

Please fight this on principle OP. If not only to educate them on the law and business practice.

What is the likely outcome of this?

Is there no losses incurred because she hadn't started so they get off Scot free?

If so that is unutterably shit

They know they aren't allowed to ask if you're pregnant in the interview. The reason for that is because employers are tempted to discriminate against pregnant women at interview.
Yet they expect women to voluntarily disclose that information prior to interview to circumvent the legal barrier to discriminating against them themselves! What absolute bullshit.
OP take them to the fucking cleaners.

I agree advice is prudent but the initial stage of a claim (the ACAS Early Conciliation process) is actually very low risk and the risk of costs being awarded against you at an ET are also low. I am an Employment lawyer so I'm not plucking this out of thin air.

I'm glad you're seeking further advice OP, this is definitely a situation that warrants it. I always tell clients that there is no case you can't win and no case you can't lose so nothing is guaranteed. The key issue here will (I suspect) be the value of the claim.

Please do contact your insurer, if you're covered they will often pay for you to be represented if the case has a reasonable prospect of success.

Wow. Clearly in a panic. Please come back and update us with how it all goes.
Congratulations on your pregnancy op.

Haha, what back peddling. I'm not sure I'd want to work for such stupid people. They've also disclosed something presumably confidential about another employees addiction.

Situations like this make me wish I was a man

I'm just impressed that at 19 weeks your pregnancy is not obvious, I was like a house side.

I have no words. Take this as far as you can do it doesn't happen again. They royally screwed up and it's awful attitudes like this still exist. Also massive breach of confidentiality telling you about another candidates addiction issues

Hey @Char1997 I've just thought. This may get picked up by an unscrupulous journalist looking for a story. To be fair it's a good one. I wonder if it being here the screen shots etc would compromise anything. Open to being told I'm daft but worried it will impact on you.

@thetwinkles hey! I completely agree which is why I crossed out names and didn’t include the companies name. Do you think I should remove the images?

Oh I don't know, I'm just a natural born worrier! I would if it was me x

What do you think @Sunshinegirl82 ??

I would be tempted to ask for the screenshots to be deleted to be on the safe side.

I don't think a journalist picking up this story would compromise anything as if you went to an employment tribunal it wouldn't be a criminal trial with a jury (who could be influenced by the press)... but I'm not a lawyer.

I hope you get this resolved.
As an aside, I assume they wouldn't have paid out much in maternity benefits as you're already pregnant. What they should really be worried about is someone who gets pregnant just after they join the company. I wonder if they'd feel aggrieved that the person was sexually active without warning their employer? This is so depressing. I'm old enough to have been asked questions about "whether I plan to start a family soon " at interviews.