Wife starts new job at 9 weeks pregnant....

[Paulturbo83]

So the wife got offered a job 3 months ago with a local estate agents,she was made to give 3 months notice with her current company.

We found out she was pregnant the same just after she accepted the job.

She is bricking it, the new company only has two branches and although her new boss is a decent bloke she is getting worked up about telling him as she feels she has betrayed him. She is so worried after a few months there that they will review the position and decide there isn't enough work for her, she then stress' s no one will employ her as she's pregnant.

It's really hard as we had two mc's last year and had given up for a while hence the change of job.

Any thoughts?

In honesty, her new employers would probably extra careful regarding letting a pregnant woman go.

I started my old job at about 12 weeks after being made redundant by my previous company before I knew I was pregnant. I told them at 18 whilst I was still in their training. It wasn't a problem at all. Obviously she will likely not qualify for maternity pay but she should be able to get maternity allowance.

I think being fairly honest with her employer is the best bet. It's horribly stressful but honestly, most employers find pregnant ladies fairly untouchable as they risk being brought up on discrimination if they let one go without good reason.

That's what i keep telling her,she's worried her heaven morning sickness will give it away. But I said the most likely scenario is that when you leave to have the baby there's no job to go back too. Whichs she's fine with,being an estate agent without a young baby is stressful enough. She would be quite happy to work somewhere with less career potential.

I was in this situation not long ago and felt relieved once I had told my manager who was understanding and wasn't bothered at all. I wasn't aware that because I have not worked with the new employer for enough weeks before baby is born I am not entitled to statutory maternity pay. Which has thrown a spanner in the works. Not sure if you are aware of this.

We know we won't get SMp but we will get maternity allowance which is approx 500 a month, so it's better than nothing.

Glad you know. Wish we had but can't really do much about it now just fingers crossed we get MA too!

Have a look at maternity action's website, it's very good. They can't easily let her go once she's announced she's pregnant and they have to hold her job open for her, or a similar job if hers is no longer available. I'd probably feel bad too (even though I know it's irrational!) but it happens all the time. Àll the best

Spoon, if you have worked sufficient weeks in the preceding 66 you should get Ma.

Are you sure it's that much money? I'm on smp now and I get just over £500 a month.

I take it back! It is if you earn enough, I just looked.

SMP and MA are quite similar at around 138 per week. With SMP you get 90% of earnings for 6 weeks so that would be the bit you've missed out on.

My MA confirmation came in the post today, basically £138 per week for 9 months in my case. Just in case that is helpful! Good luck.

I was in this situation five years ago - signed the new contract for a job without knowing I was (just) pregnant, went away on holiday, and after I came back I had to tell my new employer that I was expecting. I did it at about 11 weeks (it was my second, and I was worried that it was starting to show, although I was probably paranoid). My boss was great - really supportive. In the end, it got worse, I had a complicated pregnancy and ended up on sick leave from 26 weeks until maternity leave kicked in. I kept in touch with work as best I could, did the odd thing from home, and went back as soon as was feasible. My boss was really great through all of it - he was more able than I was to think long-term and see the pregnancy and baby year for what it was - a short-term inconvenience. I am still working in the same place now. I guess you never know how people are going to react, but hopefully your wife's boss will be supportive.

MA is the same as SMP without the first 6 weeks at 90% bit, if you have earnt enough (anyone with a full time job for 13 weeks out of the 66 before the baby is due will have worked enough, as long as you have another 13 weeks of work earning at least £30 a week).

Some misinformation here. Its correct that you can't be let got for being pregnant, taking time off for pregnancy sickness etc etc. However you can be let go for all kinds of other reasons despite being pregnant, and it's difficult to prove which it is.
That said, companies are often worried about it looking like discrimination, so are extra careful. Some don't care though.

madreloco is right, before 2 years' service you can basically be let go for no reason.

Nevertheless, discrimination under the Equality Act has no qualifying period so a claim can be brought before 2 years' service is accrued - and therefore employers who know their responsibilities will generally be careful about getting rid of pregnant employees / new mothers.

Ultimately your DW can't guarantee her new employer won't treat her badly, but my advice would be to be up front with them when she's ready to tell them about the pregnancy, whilst also being 'savvy' - e.g. making a contemporaneous record of any little thing which could be construed as being a bit 'off'. Keep hard copy records of emails, write up meeting notes in which her pregnancy / job / performance is discussed as soon as possible. If the worst does happen, she is let go and she suspects it's because of her pregnancy then all the evidence will help for an employment tribunal.