Should I tell my boss our plans?

[Skygirl1983]

So I have been in my current role not even 6 months but it's a job I have worked really hard to get. I am part of a small team as part of a larger department. The role is very niche and to be competent can take over a year of on the job training. Also major projects can rely on us being able to complete certain work within a set timescale. We had a day long team huddle today talking about our workload over the next 4-5 years, training requirements, and the possibility of more staff. We also spoke about how one of my colleagues is reaching retirement age and could leave right in the middle of our busiest time. So here is my issue, DP and I are getting married next year and would like to try for a baby soon after. Age isn't exactly on our side! I know there is no legal requirement, and DP thinks it's non of their business right now, but should I tell my boss about our plans? I don't want to leave them in a situation when the time comes, and I plan on returning to work afterwards, but if they are trying to put a case forward to senior management for extra staff should I at least give them the heads up?

No, I would keep quiet. There is nothing to tell at the moment anyway.

No, say nothing! I know you're trying to be nice, but really there's no benefit in telling them because you won't know when you're going to get pregnant. All you'll do is talk yourself out of bigger projects and long term strategy because they'll assume you won't be around.

No, you should not discuss this with them. When they plan, they should be covering the possibility that people in the team might need sick leave or maternity leave, or might simply decide to leave.

You do not have to put your life on hold because work plans exist. Good managers do not plan that the existing team will be available 100% of the time. They will plan in contingency or will have backup plans when circumstances demand it.

Your personal plans are not unusual. You should not be explicit about them as they are some way in the future and you may not get pregnant immediately. They will interpret your well meant warning as lack of commitment and that you are trying to get out of work already.

Wait until you have real news that does affect them. I.e. until you are well into pregnancy.

Anything can happen during that period including people being hit by buses. They should be preparing for any eventuality of being short staffed.
You haven't even got married let alone get pregnant. It took me over two years and it's not immediate for many people.

If you're part of those discussions, I'd argue that some extra staff or redundancy of roles is the best way to ensure everything runs smoothly.
But don't try to predict what might happen to specific staff.

Good heavens, no!!

No way! Nothing has happenned, there is nothing to tell.

No I wouldn't

NO!

Absolutely not. You have nothing to tell them right now anyway.

Thanks all. I just hate the thought of letting people down. I won't say a word until if and when it happens.

I work in a (all-female) team where everyone else (including my boss) got engaged in the last year. I’m not going to be far behind them.

Nevertheless, I would never share my pregnancy plans with my boss until it was legally required.

Definitely not - nothing to do with your employer as to when you get pregnant. You only need to notify them at the appropriate time. I told them at 13 weeks - had planned on waiting for another couple of weeks but I was having twins and would be becoming obvious.

No one is indispensable so you won’t be letting anyone down.

If you’re planning to get married soon it’ll probably already have occurred to him/her that you could need a maternity leave soon.

My boss checks out women’s ring fingers to try and decide whether to employ them ...

Don't say anything. When a company makes 5 year plans they know that some people will leave for other jobs, some people will get pregnant and some people might get ill/injured for a long period. The reason that they can still make plans knowing that is that hardly anyone is irreplaceable. If you get pregnant and tell them at the legally required time they will still have enough time to organise maternity cover and for you to do a handover. They don't need to know anything now because hypothetical things don't make much difference to their planning.

No no no no no no NO!