Should I tell boss we are ttc?

[francesrivis]

Hi, I am currently doing maternity cover for my line manager and have just found out she won't be coming back to work. I am waiting to hear whether I will automatically be offered the job or whether it will be advertised, in which case I would like to apply for it. My worry is that we are currently ttc no. 2 and I don't know whether to tell my boss this or not. I'm worried that if I do say something this will influence their decision as to whether to offer me the job, so from this point of view suppose I should keep quiet. However, I have a good relationship with my boss and don't like the idea of keeping quiet and then if/when I do get pg springing the surprise on him. The organisation has been through a pretty turbulent time recently and I just feel really guilty about possibly adding to it by going on maternity leave fairly shortly after starting the job. I know one solution would be to put off TTC until it's sorted, but I really don't want to - we've waited a good while for one reason and another, and I'm getting on in years!

Sorry this is long - hope it makes sense, any advice gratefully received.

No. It's none of his business. You just don't know how long it will take for you to fall PG.

NO NO NO!

No, no, no- your reproductive status is of no concern to your employer, and it is none of their concern!
(Sorry- very sore point at the moment- my boss is harrassing me about ttc No 2)
Being a parent is nothing to do with how good you are at your job- if you perform well, you should have the promotion, end of story.
HTH

IMVHO - don't say anything

TTC could take a while (or not), so not much point in saying anything now

No, you shouldn't. You have no obligation to, and what if TTC takes a year? I understand you ADMIARABLE MOTIVES, BUT YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T DO IT.

wow- x-posts rofl

(sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you!)

DOn't say anything. It's nobody's business until you are actually PG, and it might take you another 6 months or longer to get there.

It's none of your employers business to know you're ttc. Would you also want to tell them if you read job ads?

Thanks for all the quick responses - fairly unanimous there! What if I'm pg already though (af due next week) - should I tell him as soon as I know, and what are the likely implications? (I know I'm jumping the gun a bit, but we conceived dd fairly quickly so it's a distinct possibility)

don't say anything until you are absolutely sure - i.e after you have had a scan. I turned down opportunity to go for a great job as I was pregnant - miscarried a few weeks later. Sorry to be so pessimistic - just not a good idea to jump the gun.

no no no no no.

I had similar when i was ttc ts. Applied for my manager's job and thought (as we'd only been ttc for about a month by then) that I must surely be pregnant and how guilty I was going to feel when i had to leave after just a few months. it took me another year to fall pregnant so my guilt was unfounded.

good god NO

No No No.
Good luck with ttc but wait until 12 week scan before you say anything at work. Pregnant state nothing to do with how good you do your job

noooooooooooooo
who needs that added pressure?
yep, wait until at least after 12 weeks scan

Definitely not. It's completely irrelevant to your career plans and hopes, it might take you a while to get pg anyway.

Another point of view which might help - don't put your boss in the awkward position of knowing something like that.

However good a relationship you have with your boss, it would be very unusual to tell him that you are trying to get pregnant, it would only be normal to tell him once you are pregnant, usually after a few weeks.

agree with flowery

one of my staff told me very early in her pregnancy and it put me in a very awkward position. I'd have rather not known as I had to make the decisions on her ability regardless of the pregnancy anyway

and even once you are pregnant I'd wait until at least the 12 week scan to say anything

Another perspective for you. Have just been promoted and after a very very long time ttc think I may possibly have succeeded.

Absolutely solid with fear as boss will be furious, he went out on a limb to get me job. Not much I can do about it now!

Go ahead Frances, fingers crossed for both job and conception.

I don't think you have to tell your employer that you're pregnant until 16 weeks before the aby is due.
And if you did tell them and they decided not to give you the job for that reason, it falls under sexual discrimination(spelling?!) I think. They have to be very careful with stuff like this. But agree with everyone else, none of their business. The fact that you want to extend your family will not affect your capability to do the job whilst you are there.

Message withdrawn

DEFINITELY NOT!!

It may take some time before you conceive AND your boss will always have a picture in his mind of you humping forever after.

Do not tell you are TTC. Do not tell if you are pg already. Wait, until 12 weeks, or close to, when you and tour DP are happy that things are going ok.

If a job is advertised, you can apply and you cannot be discriminated against due to pregnancy, even if it is maternity cover. Also, if you suspect you would automatically be offered the job, legally and through proper channels, and this does not happen because you are pregnant, this too is sex discrimination.

Should either of these things occur and you claim Sex Discrimination, as it is a Statutory Law, it is up to the employer to evidence you did not get the job due to something other than pregnancy, not for you to prove it was your pregnancy, so employers should be very careful around this area.

Your private life concerns no-one other than your family.

Pavlov, a very concise and informative response.

I still think however, instilling a mental picture into your boss's mind of you shagging, tops all other arguments.

HE - that will not help working relations will it....
'had a good weekend? what did you get up to...er...i mean...nice weather wasn't it?!'