Acceptes council job offer and just found out I'm pregnant!

[hanspan1987]

A couple of weeks ago I accepted an amazing job offer in the council which I've been wanting for a while. And this week I've found out that I'm pregnant. I don't want to turn the job down and I'm not fussed about maternity pay from my new work but I am worried that the contract might state that I can't work with them being pregnant. Or that they might have a 3month trial period and dismiss me for "other reasons".
I'm generally just worrying loads as I really want this job and this opportunity.
Please help with any advice or experience!
Thank you :)

Congratulations on both your new job and your pregnancy! You can in fact have both

I think it's very unlikely they will use this to dismiss you. I can't imagine why the contract would say you couldn't work with them whilst pregnant but I take it you haven't actually received a copy of it yet? Can you google them and see if their policies are available online? Here's the equality and diversity policy of my council, for example, and here's the maternity policy.

I think you're worrying unnecessarily, but if you want to you could sign the contract and then 'discover' you are pregnant, if you are at all worried they might withdraw the job offer. I can't see it happening, though.

Take the job. Sign the contract. Do your probationary period. Then tell them.
I have been 20 weeks twice without anyone guessing.
a) you don't know yet how the pregnancy will go
b) you really wanted this job
c) unless complicated many work til 30 weeks, some more, so if your probationary period is three months and you tell them at five months then leave at seven, they still have two months to replace you.
Unless there are health and safety risks in what you do, that would be my advice.

Thank you both so much for your advice. I was thinking exactly along those lines and you're totally right about not knowing what may happen. Just needed some reassurance as I want both so much!
Going to have a look at those links as well.
Thank you both again :) really reassuring!

Also no, I havent seen the contract and I'm not sure when I would get to sign it. It's for the education department and the school term is about to end in 2 weeks with my employment due to begin the 3rd week in August. So I'm assuming I would get the contract before the term ending.

Responsible employers such as most Councils are now (quite correctly) wary of any whiff of discrimination - plus being fired due to pregnancy is specifically listed as an "automatic" reason for unfair dismissal.

There is also case law where employers tried to use "other reasons" - and were taken to task spectacularly.

You need to let them know (up to) 15 weeks before the baby is due to qualify for SMP -

www.gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/how-to-claim