Job interview at 21 weeks pregnant

[Phee96]

I'm 21 weeks pregnant with DC3 and have got an interview on Monday for a part time role. It's working for a large company and is ideal hours for our family. I desperately need this job.

Does anybody know if I have to tell them at the interview that I'm pregnant (assuming they don't work it out for themselves)?

I am pretty sure you don't

No you don't. If you do get the job you should tell them quickly so you can have a risk assessment.

No dont tell them- you dont have to. Are you obviously pregnant (I can still disguise my bump if I want)

HI - you are under no obligation to tell them and they cannot use the fact you are pregnant to not offer you the job. you may decide to tell them but that is up to you - you certainly don't have to. If they offer you the job they cannot take the offer away once they learn you are pregnant. I am pretty sure you will not qualify for any maternity pay though.

I was offered a job two weeks or so ago and I am now 16 weeks pregnant. I told them when I accepted the job. I was in the same situation as you - a perfect part time job that I needed. Luckily they have been very nice about it and I have assured them I will come back after nine months off.

HTH

Thank you so much for the replies. I don't look obviously pregnant, just a little overweight if that makes sense. Nobody so far has asked, maybe they're scared of putting their foot in it :)

I'm not expecting any maternity pay, I just want to be able to earn some money and have a job to return to after.

I think I'll try to avoid telling them and then hopefully, if I get offered the job, I can tell them at that point.

If you get offered the job do not mention the pregnancy until contracts done. That way you arent at risk of they withdrawing offer and being unable to prove it was because of pregnancy

don't you have to work somewhere for a certain length of time before you are eligible for maternity pay, not sure how long?

it's not very honest is it and may impact on the way the employer feels about you when they find out - i would prefer some one to be open from the start

I would tell them when accepting the job.

Mollymole it might not be very honest but do you really believe it would have no influence at all over their decision? I need a job as DH is unemployed so in this instance I think I'm going to put my family first if I'm not legally obliged to tell them at the interview.

As I said, I know I won't qualify for maternity pay and that's fine, I just want to work hard to earn some money.

If I am lucky enough to be offered the job, I will tell them asap

phee96 - we have a small business and when employing people i look at the long term benefit not just a quick fix, so , if you were the best for the job you would get it, and then i could plan around your circumstances - if you did not tell me i would feel let down
maybe others feel differently when employing people but i want the best person for the job
i appreciate others may not be the same but was just forward my point of view as an employer
we have a very happy relationship with our employees

mollymole I'm curious. If it genuinely would make absolutely no difference whatever to the recruitment process and to your decision, for what reason do you feel employees ought to tell you? How does it benefit you knowing before the interview rather than a few days later after making an offer?

OP I think you shouldn't tell them. It may make no difference at all to some employers, but to many it will, consciously or unconsciously and you can't know which type of employer you're sitting in front of.

Most will find it difficult not to allow it to cloud their thinking slightly. Either they will become less likely to offer you the job because of the hassle factor, or they will be paranoid about discrimination claims and offer you the job to avoid one even if they slightly prefer another candidate.

Give the employer the opportunity to make a decision about you based only on relevant information, then if you get the job or not, you'll know it's for the right reasons.

Interviews should be about your ability to do the job, and information you give a potential employer shouldn't be stuff about your personal life or medical information, it should be stuff that's relevant to your ability to do the job.