Anyone else tried to get a job while pregnant?

[wearenotinkansas]

This is a bit of a rant really. I'm due in August and talking to various recruitment agencies about various jobs. Haven't been working in that field since last year (moved house and wanted some time out) but as soon as I mention I'm pregnant that seems to be the end of the conversation. DP's job is rather precarious due to recession and, in theory, I should have greater earning potential than him. And he says (!) that he would be v. happy to stay at home with kids. I'd obviously want some time off/part time when the baby comes but I'm not even getting to the point of having the conversation.

I realise that practically there probably isn't anything I can do - even though it is discrimination - but it's really starting to get on my wick!

It may well technically be that you are being discriminated against, but you would be hard pressed to prove that you are actually being passed over because of your pregnancy. Which sucks sweaty balls, but is a sad fact of our current climate I think.

FWIW I sympathise completely, seeing as how i am in pretty much the same boat being 5 months pregnant and already the size of a house! There is no 'should i tell them?' dilemma because it is pretty damn obvious that I am pregnant therefore would only be working there for a few months before going off for a fair old while.

I can see employers POV, this is a rough time for everyone and no business can afford to take someone on, get them settled in only to lose them again and have to provide cover so I can understand why potential employers eyes glaze over when I walk in for an interview as they know they can't afford to give me the job but have to go through with the interview anyway for formalities sake, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.

I wish i had some good advice for you, OP, but I am getting very close to the cba why bother point myself and have lost my zeal in applying for jobs as the constant rejection is very draining. Perhaps the job market will be better in a few months when we are ready to return to work full time, as well as us looking more employable by not waddling in to interviews. Here's hoping!

Not to sound horrible but no one will offer you a job when you can go on leave anyday now :(
It would not benifit any work force

i did, for a big supermarket, i didn't tell them until i'd had the job a couple of weeks. naughty maybe, but we really needed the money. i would have said yes if they'd have asked, but obviously they didn't. they were nice about it though, when i told them!

Pious - glad its not just me. What is really irritating is that I was on 6 months notice in my last job so I could in theory start sooner than if I was working! And I am not even getting to see the employers - bloody recruitment agents are not even putting me forward for stuff.

Am tempted to sue them all!

In reality will probably wait until baby arrives too.

ps. Am also 5 months gone and size of house

Slightly different; I was given a fairly senior position at a multi-national company, but while working my notice at the old company I fell pregnant.

I kept it a secret for about 5 months (luckily I was small), but when I told them they were furious. TBH they were wankers anyway, and I ended up resigning a month later.

to clarify - new company was furious? If so that's appalling.

Bloody men. (just realised that's a very sexist assumption - oops)

I had two managers; one was indeed a man, but the other was a woman, but the sort of woman who held meetings while in labour, and was back at work within the week, leaving the child-rearing to her expensive nanny. I made it clear that wasn't me!

I think they felt I'd deceived them, whereas I had taken the job while un-pg. To be honest the writing was already on the wall, due to their extreme un-family-friendly attitudes, so I think the parting was mutually beneficial!

Sounds like you are well out of there. But isn't it depressing that things are still so backward. I could carry on rant about general sexism at work but will only get worked up and then won't be able to sleep!