Starting new role at 26+ weeks pregnant

[Apfel]

Hello Ladies!
I hope everyone is doing well.
I'm starting a new role this Tuesday and haven't disclosed that I'm pregnant. Interviewed at 20weeks pregnant and wasn't really showing then and was offered the role on the same day.
I am really eager to work and didn't want to eff up my chances of not getting the job due to being pregnant but I do feel really guilty now as I'm due in November!
My plan is to tell my boss on Tuesday and I'm prepared for the worst.
Am I overthinking this? Is there a chance of me losing my job? My probation period is 3 months and it is a perm NHS Admin role in London. I didn't think that the recruitment process would be this long winded but here we are!

They can't sack you just for being pregnant. You need to inform them ASAP though as you are supposed to let them know by 25 weeks when you want your mat leave to start

Exactly what @dementedpixie said.

Is it a new role in the same company or new job entirely. They would have been wrong not to hire you for being pregnant, but let's face it, how many work places would have hired a pregnant lady. They would have found someone "better qualified" or who "interviewed better".

If a new place you won't get statutory maternity pay but I think it is called enhance maternity pay. You do need to tell them though as should have at 25 weeks which is the normal timeframe. They may have to extend a probation period to finish it on your return but I am just guessing that. X

Oh just read fully and it is the NHS. They might actually have better maternity policies than a private business and your probation period will be up before you are off.

Thank you! I'm planning on telling them when I resume on Tuesday. Nervous about their response but will just have to get it over with!

@Sheera1 It is a new job entirely. I don't think I'm entitled to statutory maternity pay or even maternity allowance since my last UK based role ended in March 2019. I've just recently moved back to the UK and this is my 1st job since 2019.

Hello :) Congratulations on your pregnancy!

I work for the NHS and you do need to inform them of your pregnancy by week 25 however I think is more to do with maternity pay rather than maternity leave.

You will be entitled to 52 weeks leave but based on the maternity policy you will not be entitled to occupational maternity pay or statutory maternity pay - being ineligible SMP is based on you saying that you have not worked in the UK since March 2019. You may be entitled to maternity allowance and Gov.uk will be able to tell you if you are entitled and how to apply.

As another PP has said your probation may be extended however they can't sack you because of your pregnancy and the NHS wouldn't do that either.

If you pass your probation before you leave for maternity you will be able to rejoin your role under no less favourable terms.

Hope all goes well for you & good luck in your new role. Xx

@Shawla92 Thank you
My probation period is 3 months but will not manage to complete it before going on maternity leave unfortunately. I think I'm going to miss it by a week or so.
I can't wait to let my manager know and get it over with!

I bet! You will be fine though :) the NHS is one of the best places to work and especially great for being completely fair employers and not discriminating against anyone for being pregnant, certain religion, age etc :)

That's good to know!
Thank you all for your contribution. I definitely feel much better now xxx

Hello ladies!
Quick update: I had a conversation with my manager and she was not happy AT ALL.
She had mentioned that there are guidelines she needs to follow once I'm 28 weeks to protect me from Covid which means that possibly I won't be allowed back into the office. She will speak to her partners and will update me before the end of this week.
Maybe I'm paranoid but it sounds as if they might let me go? I didn't even get a chance to ask for clarification as she was snappy and dismissive. If anyone knows who I can speak to/call for advice I would be very grateful.

@Shawla92

That sweeping statement about working for the NHS is simply not true.

Well I can understand why your boss is pissed. It's an NHS job so of course there are going to be Covid restrictions in place. I think you've been a bit naive/deceitful

It's not ideal for her but you're just as entitled to the job as anyone else and you were not obliged to disclose this before now. Also @ivfdreaming depending on the job many NHS staff have no COVID contact.
Maternity Action may have more information on where you stand.

It's not at all deceitful, she is perfectly within her rights to interview for a job and this shows they probably would have illegally discriminated against her.

It's admin job, can you work from home OP? If so you've got at least 4 months you'll be working there

I’ve heard that NHS are insisting on home working from 28 weeks. Perhaps she was having a bad day.

Your manager is right about working from home after 28 weeks (I am in the same boat) and as I am in an admin job provisions have been put in place for that.
Sorry your manager gave you a hard time!

@Azerothi this is purely my experience from working for the NHS. Perhaps the trust I work for is more accepting of people's circumstances.

She has no right to be pissed off. It is not your fault covid is here and she needs to plan accordingly. Is she saying she would not have hired you if she knew you were pregnant because she needs to make the necessary adjustments? Because that would be discriminatory. It shouldn't have mattered when you told them she is wrong to act like that. See what she says and hopefully she will have calmed down but maybe worth stating you were not happy with the reaction. You are allowed to be pregnant. If she gives you more grief I would speak to HR and potentially a grievance tbh. That is ridiculous. X

She cannot be annoyed at you for her having to do her job which is managing her staff levels to take into account a pregnancy. You could sit there politely and say "are you saying you would not have hired me if I had told you I was pregnant before I legally had too?".

Also any comeback you can say "is it any wonder I was worried to tell her given the discriminatory response I was just given to her having to do her job?".

Thanks to all for your contributions!
Boss seems a bit calmer today and asked for my mat b1 certificate and the date I want to go off on maternity leave. She hasn't mentioned anything yet about what I'm supposed to do once I reach 28 weeks.
I do think that she definitely wouldn't have hired me if she knew I was pregnant. Her reaction gave her away!

OP hopefully your manager will calm down and sort it all out for you.

It must have been a shock for her though, they were probably planning everything with you starting and you threw a spanner in the works on day 1. She now needs to replan and re-recruit for maternity cover, as well as train you and you are having to wfh from basically next week!

She's allowed to be annoyed initially, and you must have known she wasn't going to be happy with you. Find out what the plan needs to be from 28 weeks for you to ensure you can do your job and ask for all the training you need

I started a new job at 24 weeks, interviewed on the monday and was offered the job at the interview. At the end of the interview after accepting the offer I told the manager I'm pregnant and due in november. Her jaw dropped. We had a chat about what I would be able to do in my role during pregnancy (food and beverage assistant in a hotel) and how we would see how I coped, she did also then mention I'm on a 3 month probation.

I started on the Wednesday and I've been there 2 weeks and they have been so supportive! Always asking how I feel, especially when we had the heat wave last week! They are constantly saying to take a little sit down and have a drink to keep hydrated and I'm always sent on lunch first. Meals are provided on shift and the chefs are really good with providing me with alternatives if I can't eat or bare to eat what they have served for staff food, I have acid reflux so there is a lot of food I cannot eat as it comes straight back up! After lunch they don't expect me to be running around, they often ask me to fold napkins or polish glasses so my food has a chance to go down! The job is shift work but they have been putting me on all breakfast shifts so my sleep pattern isn't all over the place and I'm not finishing late and driving home tired in the dark. They don't expect me to carry heavy trays and when clearing tables I stack the tray and leave it on the table for somebody else to carry.

I had a brief chat with my department manager about after 28 weeks as my midwife advised to work from home where possible and if not possible avoid public contact. My department manager says he has a plan in mind which would minimise public contact but didn't say what the plan was. He said he is more than happy to supply me with a face mask or visor, which ever I would prefer if I wanted. Personally I see the advice as just advice. I worked at Tesco for 13 weeks whilst pregnant and during the 'peak'. Unless we have annother 'peak' I I wount fussing over my job being adapted to minimise social contact. We are reviewing my risk assessment at 28 weeks so will see what they suggest!

I feel like I have been really lucky with such a caring company I have joined during pregnancy and will be returning after a short maternity leave, providing I pass the 3 month probation.