So when did you let Work know?

[Tee2072]

I'm not due for like 8 months, but due to my Diabetes and my age, this is a fairly high risk pregnancy and I would imagine will take a lot of doctor's visits! My first visit to the Doc is this Wednesday and I should have a better idea then how much time this will take!

So, I've told most of the girls at work (cuz we're all really close, go to lunch, etc) but none of the Senior Management Team, who I report to.

So, when did you let work know you were pregnant?

17 wks. Then I went on a five day holiday and came back with a massive bump! So don't leave it longer than 17 wks!

Ps, sorry but if you've told girls at work, even if they don't tell as such, there'll be glances or silence or what they don't say will have given the game away long before 17 weeks. I told one girl at work at 13 wks. She was the only one I felt remotely inclined to share it with though.

It depends what job you do - although there is no legal need to tell them at the start, if you do shiftwork / lifting etc, work will need to do a risk assessment to take into account your pregnancy. Obviously the sooner this is done, the better.

I didn't tell anyone until about 15 weeks in my first 2 pregnancies. I did tell my boss at 12 weeks with my most recent pg, as he wanted us to sit down and work out our staffing requirements for the next year - seemed only fair to tell him he'd need a maternity cover too. If you don't want to tell Senior management, tell HR, as they will usually be understanding and you can refer senior management to them if you have a problem. Oh, or you can tell Occupational Health and use the same strategy.

I have always told my manager and HR manager straight away as there is no problem getting time off for all the extra appointments then. Plus this last time I needed to get a risk assessment done as I was having a lot of back trouble. I waited til I was 12 weeks before I told all the people I work with though.

I told my imediate team the day of my + test, I was 3+5 but we'd had miscarriages and fertility issues so i was proper chuffed and knew they'd try and reduce my workload immediatly as my jobs really heavy and they did, they've really looked after me. I didnt tell my manager till about 6 weeks because she didnt really need to know and the rest of my team didnt find out til 14 weeks.

i told my boss straight away as was in nursing but also because had lots of appts as wasnt very well so didnt want to look, l;azy by saying cant do said jobs and didnt want to look awful for letting them down on a regular basis

Thanks everyone!

First of all, we don't have HR. Small office, 10 staff members!

And I sit on my ass all day, I'm a personal assistant!

The girls keep each other's secrets all the time, so I am not too worried about them spilling the beans. And if they do? They do!

It seems like about 12 - 18 weeks is the norm, so I'll see how it goes!

8 weeks I told my boss. Everyone else after my 12 week scan.

My boss kept winking at me when he saw me after I told him, Im sure people thought we were having an affair!!

I told my boss, the chap I work mostly closely with and my "best friend" at work at 9 weeks as I was feeling so ill. Just as well, as a few hours later I was hospitalised for 6 weeks!

I told my boss quite early on. But only because I had taken a few non-consecutive days off work with bad morning sickness and I didn't want her to think I was pulling sickies

Hey HW...They don't have to do one, actually. Not for a job where I do nothing but sit at a desk all day and type!

They certainly haven't done one for anyone else, including our H&S officer who had her baby in March!

LOL at Lauraloola & the 'affair'
Tee, they legally have to. They have to check your seat is comfy (and you can get a plush physio all-singing, all-dancing chair), you have good leg elevation etc. They'll also talk you through your options regarding getting breaks as you can have a break to walk round and/or nap if needed.
Its rather naughty that they didn't do it for your colleague

I'm on my third pregnancy. Didn't get a risk assessment with my first 2, and with this pregnancy I only got one because because I told them it was a legal requirement and I wanted one doing. The reason for this was because I was having a lot of back trouble and needed a new chair (i.e. one that wasn't broken). You would think I had asked for a gold plated desk the amount of trouble it caused but they knew they didn't have much option.

CS7 Actually, I already have the chair, we all have them here (small office, only 10 staff members!)!!

And breaks and such are really not a problem around here. The nap may be, but just breaks aren't. I don't even have a set number of breaks, can break when I need to, and can take lunch when I want and it usually drags on!

I may get crap pay for my level of experience as a PA, but the other benefits make up for it!

TEE it may not make much difference but legally they HAVE to do it, it's the law - there to safe guard you (& them to a certain extent)

Trust me, just because its the law? Doesn't mean the company will follow the law.

Like I said, the last pregnant woman at my office was the H&S Certified Expert and they never did one for her!

And its not something I am concerned about, or a battle I am willing to fight. I actually find a lot of H&S stuff to be ridiculous, and this is one of those things.