Employer wants me to fly long haul at 6 months pregnant

[Evianfash40]

Hi, I'm pregnant with my first and I haven't told my employer yet as its still early days. However they are wanting to book a work trip when I would be 6 months pregnant and it would involve being away for 2 weeks and working every day- no time off - long hours - potentially up to 10 hours a day. Flying in premium Economy London to Paris to Hong Kong to Hangzhou China - then by car to Shanghai. I have done this trip twice before not pregnant and personally found it too much - with all of the travelling, working without a break, and expected to lug 2 heavy suitcases around. Do you think I can say no to the trip? I also have lymphodema - swelling in feet and ankles - not caused by pregnancy but have had it for 3 years and it is much worse when flying, being in hot countries so I am really not wanting to go on the trip.

I would tell your employer now tbh.

you need to tell your employer soon so they can do a proper risk assessment.

You need to tell them ASAP.

I had to tell before I wanted to due to a workplace health emergency - the urgency of it meant that I just had to blurt it out. Not ideal, but it just had to happen.

How far along are you currently?

I'm only 8 weeks so I had wanted to wait until 12 weeks but will need to tell them before they book the work trip.

You need to tell them you are pregnant, pretty sure hr would rule it too risky

Please tell them. You don't need to tell the whole office, just HR if there is one or your boss.
Think of it this way, if the worst happened and you didn't make it to 12 weeks, then your employer would be aware and understanding if you needed time off, and you'll also be sorting out this very reasonable concern about the trip, so it's win win to tell them now!

Totally off topic but they only pay for premium economy on a flight that long???

The policy we have at work says you don't have to even tell HR, but that the H&S team will listen confidentially, and if they say no to something (even without disclosing the reason) then boss has to accept you can't go.

The only other option is lying about why you can't do it.. A colleague of mine said she'd recently had an operation and was forbidden from flying (I helped cover for her).. Its an option if you don't want to say you're pregnant now.

Tell HR/your boss why you cant travel and ask them not to tell anyone else in your workplace why. Your personal info should be kept private until you are ready to tell others.