Job hunting while pregnant - disclose or not?

[dutchmummy1]

I was made redundant at the end of last year, just before I was ready to announce my pregnancy to the world.

I have been trying really really hard to find a job - difficult since I cannot do fulltime due to childcare restrictions.

Now (20 weeks pregnant) in the interviewing process for three jobs. I am not really showing - especially when dressing smartly - and have not yet disclosed to anyone I am pregnant. But I feel quite bad about it!

One of them is quite a physical job and the other two are office based. I will be out in June for maternity leave and potentially sooner for the first job due to the physicality.

One one hand, I really want a job and especially the office based ones are perfect for me. Like a few times in a lifetime kind of perfect! I know employers are not allowed to discriminate but if its between me and somebody else I am willing to bet all the money on it that they take the other person. And I would too in their place.

On the other hand it feels like a 'bad' start to get hired and pretty immediately say: hey I'll be out in a few months.

Has anyone been in the same boat? Any advice? I'm leaning towards maybe telling the physical job before signing anything as I feel like it has much more impact.

I didn't tell potential employers until I had job offers. I made sure the video interviews only showed me from the boobs upwards. I got 2 offers from 2 interviews. I ended up not taking them in the end though as I didn't want to start then disappear and forget all the stuff about my new job then have to go back and pick it up again months later.

Some people say it's hard to get a job after having a baby but I didn't find it difficult to get job offers when I was ready to get a job after maternity.

You have to tell an employer by 25 weeks, will you receive job offers/start a job in time for that?

I'll be honest if it was me I'd just be upfront, you're not entitled to SMP anyway so may as well look for a job that's genuinely fine with you being there only briefly. I'd probably just do temping for 3/4 months and start the job hunt properly while on leave and you know more about the childcare situation.

Fairly confident I'd have a job offer (or two) within the next two weeks so that would work out.

Yes, you may be right! It's just that I really like the two opportunities I've got interviews for now.

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Fairly confident I'd have a job offer (or two) within the next two weeks so that would work out.

Yes, you may be right! It's just that I really like the two opportunities I've got interviews for now.

I wouldn't tell them. Everyone knows you won't get the job because of it. Even tho employers aren't allowed to discriminate against it that doesn't mean that they won't.
I started a job 10 weeks pregnant, didn't tell them until 12 week scan, so effectively told them 2 weeks after starting.
What can they do? They can't get rid of you. This is the measures that we are forced to take.

I wouldn't tell them. I would feel bad about it but shouldn't. In the grand scheme of things, what is up to a year off for the right candidate?

SO happy to hear it worked out for you! Yes that is always an option and I'm not too afraid of it.

Think I'm just afraid to let a great job go by being pregnant haha

To put another spin on it, if they are interviewing now, and offer it to you, they may have also just interviewed someone who could cover your maternity. Not a given, but a possibility.

I interviewed for a job while pregnant - I told them from the start. I said it would be a good look for the company to hire a pregnant person and that long term I thought the role was a very good fit - they must have agreed as they offered me the job at 38 weeks pregnant (The interview process took 3 months!) In general I think being up front is good but it depends on the industry and as a PP poster said sometimes not saying is the measures we are forced to take!

I started a new job at 13/14 weeks pregnant. I didn't tell them until I'd started, on week 2.

I was only 4/5 weeks pregnant when I found out I was being made redundant.

I the day i interviewed with them, I was bleeding a lot. Has a scan booked at the EPC the next day. (Everything was fine, but I really didn't think that would be the case).

I know people shouldn't discriminate, but they will. I wouldn't tell them.

Honestly when you are so far along I'll tell them If they are the type to hold it against you, I wouldn't want to work for them anyway and it could be held against you for ever . you can be let go fairy easily for no reason once your back from Mat leave

Ordinarily I'd say don't tell.
But as you're this far along, you'll have to do it very soon anyway. Since you'll still be on probation, there's nothing stopping them from manufacturing reasons to get rid of you. You might still end up pregnant with no job.

So tell them... if they do hold it against you, you wouldn't want to work there anyway.

I have some input for this, I am the manager. I have hired pregnant women twice, both times without knowing.
One has just now gone on maternity and wasn’t aware of her pregnancy upon start, the other unfortunately we had to let go just few days after she started. She was aware of the pregnancy and didn’t disclose so we started her without risk assessment really which shouldn’t have happened. (Everyone’s got a medical form to fill at the start and she ticked not pregnant, so that’s a false statement). When we learned of her pregnancy, sadly it was from other people.
It depends on what type of job it is, for us, with the one we had to let go was because she was really unwell and wasn’t able to focus on the job at all, plus the fact that she lied on the medical form, the job requires focus and good attendance. Which she couldn’t provide from the first days so we had to let her go.

The employer can’t do much about you accepting the job without disclosing your pregnancy. But you can bet they’ll be annoyed and looking for legal ways to get rid of you for being dishonest. It certainly won’t be the long term “dream job” you’re hoping for.

Depends on the job. I interviewed for a job not pregnant, didn't get the job. First applicant didn't work out and was offered to me a couple months later and I was 8 weeks pregnant. I told them because I had decent maternity leave at the position I was leaving and wanted to see what they would do. They were happy to employ me pregnant but couldn't give me any mat leave so I didn't take it.

Not!!
if they’re not happy they’re not happy
that’s not for you to give up on a dream job because you’re a woman and you may piss off a large organisation that doesn’t care about you anyway. You’ll do a few months, work as hard as you can. There’s no mat pay, then you come back and work hard again. I’d maybe only do 6 months and not 12. But otherwise fuck it. If they want to look for ways to get rid of you or they’re not happy with you then let them. You’ve got bills to pay and you’re doing your job and abiding by the law.

It sounds like your company fired this woman for being pregnant. Is that right? In the UK?

What do mean, they couldn’t give you any maternity leave? That’s a statutory right. Do you mean they didn’t offer enhanced maternity pay over and above statutory maternity pay?

No, I think for lying on a medical form which impacted risk assessment.

I would, it will become fairly obvious and then you'll just look dishonest

I’m really surprised at the responses here. Not all employers are large evil corporations. Maternity cover can be an expensive and difficult thing to arrange, especially for a small/medium sized company and especially for a specialised/trained for role. Of course it will be arranged but as much time to prepare as possible would be more reasonable for the one who is pregnant and any clients, co-workers and their employers.

I am shocked that pp’s see no problem with not being truthful!

@MuchuseasaChocolateTeapot
Exactly, plus people don’t think along that lying on paper is their employers green card to ending the probation. Especially if someone is entering a job that operates in the Type of sector that is overseen by the HSE body.
The papers are there mainly for the employer, not for the employee and probation periods exist for a reason.

@Xur Let me guess….
I bet the reasons you let her go weren’t due to her lying about her pregnancy on the medical form but something completely different?

@PostmanPatAlwaysRingsTwice
if you start a job whilst pregnant you are not entitled to maternity pay from your employer, buy you are entitled to statutory maternity pay from the government.