can my contract be terminated for being pregnant?

[PollyPenguin]

Hi there, I'm extremely new to this and need some advice. 2 weeks ago (on Valentine's day actually) I found out that I was pregnant, and now I'm roughly 7-8 weeks. I am unemployed and have been since january, and have carried on applying for jobs as normal. Today I got a phone call offering me a full time job with an ok wage as a team leader at a childrens theme park on an 11 month contract, however I have not yet told them about me being pregnant. I don't really intend to tell them until I have signed some sort of contract and have been working there between one or two months, just to prove that I can do the job regardless. I plan on making out that I've been having my periods as normal and had no symptoms. I am just worried that they won't let me carry on working until I have to leave, and I want to go back there if possible after Ive had the baby, but only part time. I have also been told that if my medical records say I knew before signing a contract I could be taken to court for fraud. I'm just a wee bit stressy at the minute; I'm 21 the dad is 23 we have to find somewhere to live and buy so much stuff, he is at uni for another 6 weeks and then he can start looking for a job but we need all the money we can get our hands on, even if it does mean lying :( sorry for the massive rant in advance xx

You don't have to tell anyone before 24 weeks I think, so don't worry. They are not allowed to ask you, and if they sacked you once you were there just for being pregnant they would be on very shaky ground.

Take the job, don't mention the pregnancy until you have to, and good luck x

Thank you :) hopefully they won't mind. I understand from an employers point of view how annoying it is but I'd much rather do this and earn some money for the baby instead of having nothing for it.

I'm an employer. My advice would be don't fret it, don't worry about it, and don't tell them. They really don't need to know at this stage, and they have no right to find any problem with you not having told them.

Thanks :) do you think I'd be able to work up until the end of my pregnancy? There was no mention of heavy lifting or anything.

Congratulations on baby and job!

I agree with the others. Don't tell yet, there's no need to do so, and don't worry there's absolutely no way they could take you to court for fraud or anything like that.

In terms of working throughout your pregnancy, it really depends how you are feeling in the later stages. From a health and safety point of view your employer need to do risk assessments for you and make adjustments if there are any aspects of your job that present a risk to your pregnancy.

Absolutely - you have no legal obligation to tell them until 15 weeks before you're due anyway, so don't worry about having to concoct a story to cover yourself.

Hey guys thanks for your conments, I went to my induction today whichwas great my job should be simple enough to do even when heavily pregnant, however the park doesnt open forr another 4 weeks and I officially start tomorrow, however they will be wanting/expecting me to do stuff like cleaning and painting inside and outside, which is going to be a problem as I don't know if it will have lead or alcohol in but typically it will. I signed the contract today but they didn't sign it they just took it away and said they would give me a photocopy soon. It also said I was on a probationary period for 13 weeks so I don't know if they can sack me easily because I'm only on probation anyway...I don't know whether to tell them tonight or tomorrow morning when I get there or just take a mask in and make out that I get really bad headaches from painting or the smell makes me sick. Sorry for the big essay again I'm so stressed out now in case I lose my job, I was thinking today as they were showing us round how I'm going to love this job. X

Paint doesn't have lead in it these days, but I think you do have to avoid painting especially in the first trimester, here. I imagine cleaning would be fine though.

Your probationary period is irrelevant, they can't sack you because you are pregnant even on day one.

You could consider taking a mask in, and/or just seeing what happens when you get there. If it's a bit of cleaning you end up doing, fine, but if they want you to do painting and you are concerned, you may end up having to tell them.