What are your rights if you get pregnant straight after starting new job?

[askingforafriendcalledme]

Just that really...what happens if you fall pregnant straight after starting a new job, or if you realise you were pregnant when you accepted the job. I'm not in this situation, but after a scare a couple of weeks ago I'm now curious.

It's clear from the information I can find online that you won't get maternity pay...but, could they fire you? Would you have a job to go back to after maternity leave, etc?

Thank you so much!

Straight after starting you should get mat pay; something like having to be in post 24 weeks by the time you’re 16 weeks from your due date.

If you were pregnant when you started I think it’s maternity allowance you get.

Sorry the rest - you cant be treated in a detrimental way for being pregnant and you should be able to go back to your own job.

I got pregnant 2 days before starting a new job within the NHS. I started my maternity leave 2 weeks ago and I was told I was not eligible for mat pay from the NHS so had to go down the maternity allowance route which has been a nightmare to get put into place but it's sorted now. It's quite abit less than what I would have got if I was paid by the trust but I was prepared and managed to get some savings together

You are entitled to maternity leave same as anyone else. Your job is just as protected. If you are already pregnant before starting you won’t get statutory maternity pay but will normally be entitled to Maternity Allowance, which is very similar.

You are entitled to maternity leave.

You are entitled to statutory maternity pay.

You can't be dismissed for being pregnant.

You are entitled to time off for ante natal appts.

You do not have to tell you are pregnant until you are 25 weeks. If you think they might behave badly you might want to keep quiet just now. Get yourself established etc before telling

Thank you so much this is really helpful! Not sure why I couldn't find the answers to those two questions online but glad I asked the clever lot on here!

If you are pregnant when you accept the job you won't qualify for SMP. You need to have been employed by them for 26 weeks by the time you are 25 weeks pregnant.

You can't be dismissed for being pregnant but you can be dismissed the same as anyone else if you can't do the job properly.

You need to be employed since before you got pregnant to be entitled to pay from your employer, you'd have to apply for Maternity Allowance which is basically just the SMP amount (no 90% of your salary).

It's all on gov.uk:

www.gov.uk/employers-maternity-pay-leave/eligibility-and-proof-of-pregnancy