timing pregnancy right with changes at work! !

[ThePartyArtist]

I'm currently on a short term contract until Sept 2016, after which I've been told by my manager it'll become permanent. I'll get to sign the permanent contract around June 2016. I'm hoping to TTC soon. What do I need to bear in mind re: maternity leave? If I announced pregnancy during the temporary contract would I potentially have the permanent contract taken away from me (I won't be able to sign it for another 10 months)? Does it make any difference if I begin Mat leave during the temp contract rather than the permanent one? I have continuous service so don't think it would, but obviously it's hard to ask HR!

You need to have been employed for 26 weeks before the 15th week before your due date to be eligible for mat pay. Mat leave is a right for any length of employment but what you are paid is affected. This can be on either a temp or permanent contract.

In theory, by law your employer cannot deny you a permanent contract because you are pregnant, however in reality they may do that, and taking them to court will be difficult as the discrimination could be hard to prove(though you should totally do it if that happens).

I have already worked for them for more than 26 weeks. Would it be a stupid idea to time a pregnancy so I'd need to announce before I sign the permanent contract? Until I sign it in June it's just a promise.

If I were you I wouldn't start trying until Mar/April so that if you do fall straight away you dont have to tell them before your permanent contract is signed. As much as they legally can't discriminate, they might, and proving it could be hard. Although you don't have to tell them until you're 25 weeks so you could start trying before Mar/April but you'll most probably start to show around 20-22 weeks so keeping it quiet might be hard for that long.

I would say depends on how much you want the perm role. there will be more contracting and work to be had surely? Or as people say wait another few months - good luck!

It depends whether your employer will count your temp role and perm role as continuous employment.
Would you get enhanced maternity pay from this employer? If so, most have minimum no of months employment before you qualify for it (which is where the continuous employment matters).
If you would only get statutory mat pay (SMP) from them you just need to have worked a certain no (15?) of weeks before going on mat leave. So if you weren't there long enough to get enhanced may pay, you'd just get SMP.

I would personally wait until the contract is signed till you TTC. Even without being pregnant you may not get the job. The problem with being pregnant is (for me) I am not as good at my job due to tiredness and baby brain (who knew it was real) so if you fall pregnant and had all these symptoms it could be easier for them to not offer you the job as you may not be performing as they need (which would be their legitimate reason to not offer you the job).

I put off TTC after a promotion and at 25 weeks pregnant I'm glad I waited for this one as this is the baby I am in love with

Nota bene - it's not always that easy to "time" a pregnancy.

I was in a similar situation. My contract was temporary however I knew it would become permanent after 6 months assuming I gave them no cause for concern. So I started trying to conceive just as soon as my contract became permanent. Even if you conceive immediately, you'll have worked the 26 weeks required for SMP (doesn't matter whether you were on a temp or permanent contract so long as you worked them) but I waited until I was perm to be sure my position would be available to me after maternity leave. I got my permanent contract end of Feb, conceived mid-April (due early Jan!). I had anticipated it taking a lot longer than that, but SMP-wise I knew I'd be covered.

what mrsleighhalfpenny said.

It took us a couple of years and I started trying at a time when it would have been great from career perspective. I moved on to a new job and fell pregnant 6 months into job, ooops! Luckily it is a permanent contract so I don't have your particular dilemma to deal with, but I still felt pretty sheepish having to tell new boss that I was up the duff.

Basically, if we all waited for the best/most convenient time to have children, we'd never have any!!!!

True you can't time it BUT you can take steps to ensure you don't become pregnant before a particular date, which sounds like what is wanted here.

We waited a few months to start TTC to avoid me being heavily pregnant in summer 2012 as we had tickets for various olympic events. As it happened it took us 2.5 years of trying and IVF before we got pregnant but I don't regret waiting a few months to start - I don't believe I would've got pregnant in those months.

I've been in exactly your shoes. Working contract for a very 'ethical' and 'family friendly' large company. Guess what. I told them I was pregnant and the completely promised and 'yes it's in the bag' permenent position magically disappeared overnight......

Look out for yourself first and foremost. A promise means absolutely nothing. Get something in writing before announcing anything. As a side note, it may take you dome time to conceive so it may not be an issue.

I wouldn't start TTC until the contract was signed either. As someone said above, pregnancy can be hard work. Morning sickness means you may be off at points, my energy levels were crap and my brain just didn't function fully.

I would also check what their maternity leave/policy is like once your employed so you don't miss out.

I went from mat leave into a new job and it was a challenge on many levels.