When should I tell work?

[Gerty1002]

I am starting a great new job on Monday, moving up the career ladder, but I found out over the Christmas holidays that I am around 5-6 weeks pregnant with my first child. My partner and I are over the moon but there is obviously a few issues with my new job - firstly I'm not entitled to statutory maternity pay and secondly I am not sure when I should tell my new employer.

Under normal circumstances I would wait until after 12 week scan to tell work, however we already have a couple of overseas business trips planned for the next two months. Should I tell my employer straight away just in case anything awful happened on the trips or should I just trust everything will be OK and wait until a more appropriate time?

Something else to note is that I'll have a standard three month probationary period where my employer can dismiss me with just one week's notice. I'm sure my employer is a decent person but I do have the worry that if I let slip straight away she will find a reason to get rid of me - business is business after all and it is a small company.

Any advice Mumsnetters?

Congratulations!

You may not get SMP, but should get MA, which is only different in terms of the first 6 weeks.

wrt the travel, where are you going? Paris, Rome etc ie places which will have facilities if you need them and I wouldn't tell work til you want to (I went to France and Italy pregnant, and at times work didn't know), or back of beyond in Timbuktu, in which case I'd tell them. A friend has just admitted that the illness and struggles she had in Holland and Spain were morning sickness, and nothing more - she hadn't told work either.

As to when to tell them, thats one you need to decide. I doubt you'll be able to hide til the end of your three month probation - tho if you start the job in baggy tops, you might get away with it for longer - I got asked the day I moved into maternity clothes, as my whole wardrobe changed!

Personally I'd wait til after your dating scan, and then see how the job is going.

Thanks for your replies - I've only just seen them! I told my boss in the second week of my job, as I had some bleeding and cramps and needed to have an early pregnancy scan (luckily everything was fine).

She was very lovely and understanding at first, and she is still understanding now but I feel that the more she talks to her lawyer about having a pregnant employee (she was previously a sole trader and only started her limited company this month) I think her concerns have grown.

Currently just trying to plough on and do my best work whilst exhausted and suffering with 'anytime of the day' sickness!