Fallen pregnant on maternity cover!

[Holly3]

Hi :-)

So I'm on maternity cover until end October, fallen pregnant super quick and we really didn't think it would happen so fast as last time took over a year.

I need to inform my boss soon as there are some things at work and some machines etc I can't use - I'm just not sure what's best and don't want to shoot myself in the foot. If I tell them now (6 weeks) can they get rid of me before the end of my maternity cover? I've been there since end October last year.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated! We also have a night out next weekend and I'm not sure what to use as an excuse!

Hmm. Tricky but best to be honest. X

No advice for the job but saying you are on antibiotics due to a water infection works for nights out. Explains why you can't drink and need the loo a lot at the same time x

So you were TTC while covering another person on a short fixed-term contract? Sorry, but that is quite irresponsible

Thank you for your replies. Not interested in a life lecture regarding my TTC journey thank you anyway - we had lots of problems previously not that it's anyone else's business. These things happen and I trust in the timings of everything! Asking for advice regarding the job

I work two days and the maternity cover is split between me and another girl. I'm really not after a lecture as you know nothing regarding our situation - as I've now goggled this happens ALOT and I won't be made to feel guilty for doing what feels right for us.

WTAF @MandalaYogaTapestry. How exactly is it irresponsible to get pregnant whilst covering someone else's maternity leave?

Sounds like you need to tell someone at work to ensure your duties are safe for baby. Not doing that puts your baby at risk.
If you work til 38 weeks, that cant be far off your end date anyway.
Congratulations!

No advice but I bet they replace that office chair pronto

Congratulations op, I hope you get sorted out.

So would you not be able to do the job whilst pregnant if you can’t use some of the machines? I assume you wouldn’t be able to be moved to another role as you were employed to cover this particular role.

No I can still do my normal job, just can't switch on some of the machines for clients etc (LED light therapy for facials etc) Thank you for helpful replies. That's right my due date is around 17/18th October I'm contracted until 31st but have holiday left that I'm not taking so I'm sure it will be okay. I get on really well with my manager xx

@MandalaYogaTapestry everyone with a job has made a commitment to be there so presumably wen should quit work before ttc? How about right after marriage??

Oh, and this happened to a friend of mine who worked in HR! She didn’t expect to get pregnant quickly, but there you go, these things happen. You can’t put something like that on hold for the sake of a job, IMO - pregnancies don’t always happen easily (or at all) and they don’t always end happily either. So waiting for ‘the right time’ isn’t necessarily sensible - especially for the sake of an employer, who in my experience rarely pay back that level of loyalty from an employee.

I would be honest.

I had a similar conversation with my boss about this when I took on a maternity post and I planned to TTC.

He was great about it and said, at the end of the day, maternity positions and opportunities only come up because people have children.

TTC or not, pregnancy happens and it's a blessing. I keep trying to remind myself there's more the life than work.

Congratulations

@Holly3 I'd give yourself til the 12 week scan. And I wouldn't think they'd end your contract, if you started October, for a year? If you're 6 weeks now presume you're due end Sept? If you worked t 38 weeks how long is the hap between you going off and end of contract?

Nickhedonia because she was hired for one year, to replace a pregnant employee. She could have waited a few months to ensure that she can work the entire short period. The company has done one handover, then they will need to find a cover person for the cover person - for the remaining few months - do another handover, then the primary employee comes back and the second cover person does the handover again. All this is inconvenient, expensive and could easily be avoided.

I got pregnant while doing a maternity cover, other then joking that I didn’t fully understand the term maternity cover and some jokes about the office chair my employers weren’t phased by it. Sounds like you’d be due to finish around your due date anyway? You could have easily started looking for a new job and left early. I would just tell them when you need to - definitely not before 12 weeks.

I also previously fell pregnant while on a short term contract (yes not everyone has the luxury of permanent contracts) but I miscarriage at 6 weeks so I wouldn’t advise telling before you get into the safer period

It's hardly a few months cover? A few weeks at most and I have holiday left and as I said I work two days a week.

thank you for the helpful replies and congratulations we feel so blessed to be expecting again ❤️

What a nightmare for your employer. Is it a small business?

I'd hardly call it a nightmare, I'll be working until my cover is almost over anyway - lots of people have signed contracts and left for various reasons it's just life!

Sleeping if a job is on a permanent contract then of course nobody can make a lifelong commitment of never falling pregnant. But this is not the case here. OP was hired for 1 year. Should be perfectly doable to work the term. And her pregnancy wasn't even an accident. Yes, happy for her and of course the baby would matter more than any job! The irresponsible approach still stands, in my opinion.

@MandalaYogaTapestry so??? That's part of being an employer.

The OP is entitled to get pregnant and they cannot treat her any differently as a result of that fact.

It's a terrible attitude to have. I would be horrified if anyone who I managed felt they were in the wrong for getting pregnant at ANY point during their career with me.

If I tell them now (6 weeks) can they get rid of me before the end of my maternity cover?

To answer your question, yes they can get rid of you before the end of your maternity cover but you are protected from discrimination due to being pregnant so that means they can’t fire you because you tell them you are six weeks’ pregnant. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t dismiss you for performance, non pregnancy related sickness etc. Some companies are less scrupulous than others and find a way to manage people out whereas others are the complete opposite.

You’ll need to complete a risk assessment to see what parts of your job you can and can’t do going forward.

@MandalaYogaTapestry So would it make you feel better if it was an accident? Not a longed for very much loved baby already. I completely disagree with your opinion but luckily it's your opinion & not mine. I'll be working pretty much until my cover ends so it's not like leaving them in the lurch months beforehand

Congratulations @Holly3 ignore the posters who were saying its irresponsible of you, or it's a nightmare for your boss... Worse things happen! At the end of the day, it's just a job. I'd tell your boss as soon as possible to make sure your not putting yourself at risk, but this is your life, it certainly shouldn't be put on hold for work. Good luck!