Early scan - don't want to tell my employer yet

[Alwaysrushingaround]

Ladies what would you do?
I have a scan (first appointment with my consultant when i will be 11 weeks). I really would like to wait until I'm at least 12 weeks before telling anyone in work - lovely people but not the most confidential of places - however I need the time off to attend the appointment.
What can I say the day off is for considering I'll need a cert? Thanks for any ideas you may have x

You need to tell your line manager. You don’t need to announce it to everyone.

Can you self-certify a medical appointment, and just say it's confidential? Or 'women's issues' as everyone will,assume that's something horrid to do with periods (rather than something amazing connected with the absence of them)

If you have to show an appointment card, then it does get a bit trickier, but many hospitals use a generic bit of card for all types, so you might still be able to obfuscate.

Or just take a day's leave, if it really is that important that you wait another week or two before telling anyone at work

Do you not have an authorised absence procedure at work? It’s more for medical, dental appointments etc. Could you not say you’ve got a medical appointment? If you’re worried you could offer to make the time back?

Other than a MOT maybe which was the only time available?

Also recommend telling work when you’re comfortable so they can put measures in place and complete a risk assessment etc.

P.s congrats!

If you trust your line manager tell him/her otherwise it's a dentist appointment

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'd have to show a letter so can't self certify. Even taking a days leave people are interested in how I'd be spending it!
Hate lying! Maybe I can get the hospital to make it vague and I could say it's for my back as that has been giving me aches recently and isn't so much of a lie as I'm sure it will be feeling the strain in this pregnancy if the last one is anything to go by!

You only need to tell your line manager, you don’t need to announce it to the whole office.

You can make it very clear that you are telling them on a need to know basis and that you expect them to keep it to themselves until you are ready to tell people. They’d be a total idiot to breach your confidentiality.

For the sake of a week I wouldn’t be getting into a lather trying to navigate around this when a quick conversation would sort things out.

Just tell your line manager in confidence. They shouldn't be sharing confidential information about your health with anyone unless you tell them it's OK to do so.

Or if you can't bear to do that for some reason then book a day of annual leave and say you're doing some Christmas shopping. Seems perfectly plausible.

Not that it's anyone's business.

I think you should be honest and tell your line manager in confidence. Lying and saying the appointment is for something else could easily backfire.

If you really don’t want to tell anyone at all then take it as annual leave.

Don’t make a drama of it. Tell your line manager the truth. Everyone else? It’s an appointment. They don’t need the details. Hope it goes well.

Thanks for all the replies. I guess I will have to trust them! Don't know why I'm so worried .. thanks again

Why don’t you speak to somebody in HR rather than your line manager if you’re worried? They can confirm to your line manager it’s a legitimate reason but not disclose details.

I can totally understand not wanting the whole office to find out, but your line manager should 100% be professional and keep it to themselves. Your workplace sounds possibly not very professional, based on your concerns? So perhaps when you tell them also have it written a letter that clearly states you wish it to be kept confidential, until such time that you decide to tell the wider workplace. Keep a copy of the letter yourself and you can then take it up with HR if needed. Your manager could get in a lot of trouble if they share it with anyone against your wishes.

FWIW I know how you feel to a certain extent, I had to tell my line manager as soon as I found out I was expecting (around five weeks in both pregnancies) due to serious risks in my working environment. It's not what I would have chosen at all, but needs must sometimes.

Thanks all, sorry for the drip feed - I should have mentioned I'm a teacher so no line manager !

You should still have a line manager. Head of Dept? Headteacher if primary?

Your line manager is just the person you report directly to - head of department, head of key stage, headteacher etc. Ultimately though, you want it to be the person who approves requests for leave. Everyone else, you can just say it’s a dr appointment.