15 Weeks Pregnant - 6 Month Probation! Help

[aea27]

I am currently 10 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I was due to start a new job in June. I applied for this role in November 2017 and it has been a long, slow process! I was originally due to start April 9th, but couldn't as I had a holiday booked. This postponed the start date to June 11th. I discovered on April 8th that I was 5 weeks pregnant. I planned to go ahead and start the new job, but they have now pushed my start date to September (nightmare!!), so I absolutely cannot start now as my maternity will begin in November.

This now leaves me with two choices. I can either stay where I am (which is not ideal, as the money is poor and my manager has already employed a new starter to replace me - however she is aware of the pregnancy and would be happy to have me stay) or find a new job. I have an interview tomorrow for an office-based role in a secondary school. I am fairly confident that I will be successful as I have an extensive history working within schools etc. However, the role is subject to a 6 month probation period and I am assuming the start date would be after half term which will put me around 15 weeks + pregnant. I am due 9th December so plan on starting my maternity around 2-3 weeks before my due date. This would mean that I won't even complete the 6 month probation before my maternity starts. The job is better for me financially as well as being more suitable after baby is born as it's within school hours. My worry is will they be able to find a reason to get rid of me when finding out I'm pregnant while in my probation period?

Ideally, I don't want to stay employed where I am but if the risk of leaving far outweighs the positives then I will have to. Any advice?

Ooh I don’t know but I can highly recommend this organisation - they really know their stuff when it comes to employment rights for pregnant women.
www.maternityaction.org.uk

Can you not stay where you are until maternity leave then look elsewhere once DC is born? Not many jobs will be willing to take on a pregnant woman for a permanent role I'm afraid.

Congratulations on the job and pregnancy!
I started a new post at 24weeks pregnant - now 30weeks (very long recruitment process too!), and I have an 8month probationary period. They’re just freezing that while I’m on leave, no bother. I assume your employer would do the same? Can you ask them to bring the start date forward again?

Why can’t you take the new job?

If you will be entitled to SMP in your current role you’ll still get it, as long as you don’t work for the new employer after the baby is born. I wouldnt feel bad, they shouldn’t have dicked you around with start dates.

”they have now pushed my start date to September (nightmare!!), so I absolutely cannot start now as my maternity will begin in November.”

Why does them pushing the start date back mean you “cannot” start work for them? Rather than worry about whether another new employer would offer you a job, why not stick with the one you wanted and have a solid offer for?!

I would prefer not to start at the later date as the role is within the police force and involves 11 weeks intensive training, in which I feel confident I will struggle to complete at the later stage of pregnancy opposed to now. I also have other reasons behind being apprehensive about starting this role due to restructuring they have already done with the cohort that has started in April. *To cut a long story short I'm worried about starting a job and being told that 1, I'm doing something completely different to what I applied for and 2, that I actually have no job security. This paired with my pregnancy has really put me off.

*I'm aware I'm giving vague information on the actual context of my reasonings, however for obvious reasons and the nature of the role I can't go into too much detail.

You won't now fit the criteria for the police job as you are now pregnant. You would need to complete all the physical training and fitness tests throughout the probationary period. As far as I know, falling pregnant is an automatic fail within the first 2 years.

You should speak to the recruitment and training department once you're past 12 weeks and let them know and see if you can defer for a year or so. The problem then is you'd need to be away from your baby for 11 weeks while doing residential training.

If I were you I'd stay where you are for now and review again after having your baby.

Hey Failingat40.

Thank you for your advice. The role is police staff, not police officer and the training is office based 8-5 in the same place as I would be located for working. However, you're still correct. I think I'm going to make them aware of my situation and stay where I am for the time being.