Found out I'm pregnant while interviewing

[mum2be99]

Found out I'm pregnant with child number 2 today while trying to jump ship with jobs due to lack of job security and need to travel to office every week. Very early days but still need to plan.

Currently interviewing at a small firm that have said they'd create a role especially for me, it's closer, same pay, new skills and progression, but not sure how they'd feel about paying me anything on mat leave. I've done some project work for them so have demonstrated value already.

Also got a chat with a more established firm where I feel they might welcome employing someone who is pregnant as they're bigger and got all the good accreditations.

I do know I want to jump ship asap, but my current job offers 3 months fully paid then down to SMP. So do I bear all the stress for the 3 months pay to extend mat leave or jump ship where I'll be happier but risk having Maternity Allowance only?

The firm I've built a relationship with are nice, but I still wouldn't wanna risk telling them and then the opportunity is gone.

Me and my husband are on decent wages, work hard, yet he's looking at weekend jobs currently to try afford a reasonable time off for me.

Any advice is very welcome, I'm so blessed but it's a minefield.

Thanks so much for this! I have a 1 month notice. I'm 4 weeks, early days I know, but how many weeks would I be to hand in notice then still qualify for pay from my current company? Really helpful 🙏🏻

Ah ok with a 1 month notice I think you’d struggle, I think you still need to be in employment at 25 weeks so you’d have to hand notice in at 21 weeks which would be a bit long to wait!

@mum2be99 you're interviewing for this job you haven't been offered it. You absolutely by law don't have to disclose your pregnancy. In Ireland, for example, you give notice at the minimum of 4 weeks before you intend to take leave. Obviously most tell sooner to allow for planning. I'm 8 weeks today and won't tell my employer for at least another 8 weeks. I'm also in my job just 1 year. I was pregnant in February (just 6 months in) and that unfortunately ended in mc. This sounds negative, but you don't know how the pregnancy will progress so you don't need to tell them.

You have rights when pregnant and while pregnancy discrimination shouldn't happen, it does. If you get the offer then you're the best person for the role and you'll still be the best person after you come back from mat leave. Some folks opinions about this is why the gender pay gap exists.

So I guess it's down to, 1. If you get the offer, 2. If you can get by on the reduced mat allowance (if you don't qualify for shorter service).

Good luck!

It's all so confusing! But will the right savings I think MA would be ok, then I've seen some mum's will then top up on universal credit

Thanks for this. I'm an honest person but you're completely right, I need to protect myself and it's early days.

Awkward position to be in but equally a blessing. So sorry to hear about your mc and best of luck to you, wishing you a healthy pregnancy with your rainbow baby.

And it's true, and unfortunately comes from women too :( making me feel stressed as if I'm in the wrong

@mum2be99 you're not wrong. And it's not dishonest. We shouldn't be penalised for having babies. Internalised misogyny is a real thing. I hope your pregnancy goes well and that you get that job offer ❤️

Absolutely should. The job is won on merit. Telling them before you have a contract is giving the opportunity to discriminate against pregnancy. Which is exactly why pregnancy is now a protected characteristic in employment law. 🙄