Tell employer early?

[Nellle]

With Covid, is anyone planning to tell their employer earlier than 12 weeks? Technically we're now "clinically vulnerable" and workplaces might have a different policy for us?

I told my work place later than I should have at 6.5 weeks pregnant but due to the nature of my job I had to inform them.

It's down to your own choices and reasons. COVID wasn't a factor I thought of but I can see how many women are worried about this

I’m hoping to hold out as long as I can but it’s looking like we might have to I think.
I’m just taking it day by day at the minute. I’d prefer to say after my first scan but, we’ll see.

If you trust your manager and have a good relationship with them there is so no harm in telling them early

Early would be before you are pregnant, we need to get past this 12 week myth. Do what is right for you, remember that pregnancy gives you more legal protections, not less.

I told mine at 7 weeks in March. Work in face to face retail and I was coming back off annual leave just as they released the list saying at the time that pregnant women were classed as high risk. We went into full lockdown the night before I was due back to work so I was off for a good few months but work had a fairly large risk assessment to fill out for me when we did go back in July.
Do whatever feels right to you. As PP said though, them knowing you’re pregnant gives you more legal protection

I also agree about the waiting, I think regardless of whether the baby may be a little lost baby, we would surely want the support of others? Why would we want to then hide our grief of a loss and again legally, anything pregnancy related in my job, is not held against you and it does not affect your sickness record at all. This would include loss.

So I agree about the it's never really too early! ESP as I find the first 3 months the hardest in terms of feeling dreadful and sometimes it's difficult to mask.

Again it's personal choice but you have to put the baby and yourself first ☺️

I’ve told mine early at 8 weeks as read that they will need to do additional risk assessments for me. As it’s only for my benefit I thought it best and am really glad I did!

Waiting until 12 weeks isn't a myth... it's just something some people do because they don't want to tell the world before the chance of a miscarriage significantly decreases. Not everyone wants 'support' from the world and its mother. I don't understand why people that feel they do need to tell friends and family before their 12 week scan are so insistent that everyone else should too. We are all different!

OP, if it were me, I would probably base my decision on the type of job that you have. Is it customer facing?

I had to tell 2 of my managers at around 8 weeks.
My job involves working with hazardous substances and I couldn't avoid it without telling them.
I trusted them not to make it public till I felt more comfortable.

As PP have said, no right and wrong. It's what works best for you and the type of job you're in.

Thanks for all your responses. Definitely something to think about. I'm a teacher (secondary school) so social distancing is difficult. Agree that it's obviously different for everyone.