When did you tell your employer?

[dellie84]

And how did it go?

About 7/8 weeks. I had to as felt so unwell!

Mine were fine about it. Just wanted to make sure I was okay.

I was 44 and I had been told my pregnancy was a bit risky so I held off telling anyone except my sister until I was 24 weeks.
When I told HR - by email (timed & dated)- I blind copied in my sis, just in case.

Then went straight in to tell my boss face to face. His reaction was “how old are you?”

He was fine. The CEO however was livid.

Oh my god seniorschoolmum - that is a horrendous response!!???
How did you hide it that long?

21 weeks or so. I had to tell HR at 16 weeks as I was admitted overnight into hospital due to heavy bleeding. Barely anyone has acknowledged by pregnancy or very imminent maternity leave since.

. trousers and a black t-shirt under a jacket with a brighter scarf. It was my first so it didn’t show for ages. I was lucky and wasn’t sick. And people are odd, they only see what they expect to see.

My instinct on making sure everything was timed & dated was spot on though cos they “made me redundant” and we ended up in court.

I’m sure yours won’t be like that. Congratulations.

I told them at 12 weeks after my scan.

No one was much surprised though!

I had twins and by 12 weeks my figure had already noticeably changed and I was dashing to the loo to throw up every hour or so.

My team had already guessed as had my lovely but no nonsense female senior manager who said “well of course you are you’ve been looking dreadful for weeks!” (True)

Things were much easier for me at work once everyone knew because I didn’t have to try and hide my morning sickness any longer and people got used to me nipping out of meetings for 5 minutes to throw up.

I work for a large company so they were quite used to dealing with mat leaves etc.

I just told them this week (24 weeks). I was up for a major promotion and wanted to find out the results of that before telling them, just in case.

I told my manager at 7 weeks and informed HR after the first scan at 14 weeks it was fine (and I was obviously pregnant by that point anyway).

5 weeks. I was pretty sick and needed some time off and didn't want it to count as usual sick leave. Your pregnancy and maternity rights kick in the moment you tell them, but not before.

I had to tell my bosses early as my job means I can sometimes be in risky positions.
Some colleagues guessed when I refused to do charity whitewater rafting.

Depends on your job... If you need changes to your work because of health and safety. I told mine straight away because I work with x-rays, anaesthetic gasses, heavy lifting, cats that could have Toxoplasma etc etc. No health and safety protection in pregnancy unless your employer know.

My immediate boss was an absolute knob about it the whole way through but HR and head office were really good :-)

Good luck and congratulations!

Thank you - this is really interesting! Love reading all the different experiences - except yours seniorschoolmum which is just horrendous! I take it you won your case?

My work is all very nice - but very small so will have a big impact when I announce so just trying to keep it under my belt so to speak for a little while longer, depends on how I look in a couple of weeks!

I know there will be a little tension about me being off - so just delaying as there is an obvious end date in sight!

6 weeks with my first, because my boss had just given a big old speech to the office about 'doing the right thing by each other' and I felt bad refusing a work trip on false pretences. She was fantastic about it. This time 13 weeks because I couldn't get her in a room long enough to tell her before that! Told HR at 16 once I needed time off for antenatal appointments.

12 weeks, after my scan. I wanted any sickness after that to be recorded separately as it should be and I also wanted to be able to go to appointments easily. It was fine - it's almost all women in my company and I've worked here 11 years.

16 weeks which was just after I found out. I was moving to a new role and new boss was explaining they would want lots of people to leave by March, and I replied I'd definitely be wanting to go in February. He was relieved in the circs!
Dc2, I threw up in a meeting with my manager (luckily in a kitchen so I ran to the sink, just missed her), so it was obvious at 8 weeks. She was fine but I had to take lots of time off, which didn't go down well with wider management.

I told my immediate team at about 6 weeks after an early scan (although my close work friend knew from about 3 weeks!) and the wider team after my 12 week scan. Some people had heard me vomiting in the toilets already though 😳

I told my boss when I found out (about 7 weeks) so she'd know why I kept bursting into normal tears and I'd not be expected to do the lifting part of my job. I wasn't going to tell everyone else until after my 12 week scan but, at 10 weeks, we all had an email from HR about a Rubella scare in another department and I gave the game away by (once again) bursting into hormonal tears!

I work for an agency so they dont give a crap. I dont get paid for any appointments and will lose my job when I go on Mat Leave x

I told my boss early on both times (but i had a great relationship with both of them) but only told HR after the 12 week scan.

ETA Bosses reactions were lovely both times.

Immediately after 12 week scan. I told the head teacher's PA (who also does HR) a week or so before, as she wasn't buying my excuses as to why I needed another appointment with the head . Head was nice about it, although he immediately went into practical mode, discussing cover etc. I would've been incredibly hurt to receive negative reactions, and have resolved to be nothing but positive about pregnancies if I am ever in a managerial position. WRT to keeping it hidden: be aware that a lot of workplaces will have a cut-off date by which you need to inform them in order to qualify for maternity pay. It's usually 25 weeks pregnant I believe.

Yes, all sorted in the end, and although it was v stressful, it meant my dc had me at home for two years rather than 1.

First two pregnancies I told my boss about 7 weeks, as I'd been off with sickness for a few days and didn't want to make up excuses. He kept it quiet and I told the office at large at 12 weeks.

This time, I told one of my bosses quietly the day after I found out, as I was on a company away day and needed to quietly get out of doing white water rafting (I was asked to fill in a medical form which included "are you pregnant?"). He kept it to himself and I "officially" told both my bosses at about 8/9 weeks, then the office in general at 12 weeks.

They have reacted really well every time, and I'm glad I've generally told early as my job won't be covered by maternity cover so my workload will need to be spread around the office, so it seems fair to give them as much time as possible to plan for that.

Firsttimemumeek - you are absolutely entitled to paid time off for appointments regardless of being agency staff!!!

I work with agency temps and although you might not be entitled to an enhanced maternity package or full pay when you’re off sick, there are laws protecting your income during pregnancy for appointments and scans.

I told my boss first time round at six weeks- I knew that I wasn’t protected under discrimination legislation until I told them, and I was worried that my morning sickness would get worse, so I didn’t want that being recorded as “normal” time off sick. It was fine in the end though.

This time, I told them straight away at four weeks as we were discussing my return to work after maternity leave (I’m still off...) and I didn’t want them making arrangements around my return only to tell them that actually, eight weeks after I’m back I’m off again for another year.