2 perm job interviews. Tell them I’m five months pregnant or not?

[sellotape12]

I was dismissed right the end of my six month probation a few weeks ago. It’s a messy case of likely pregnancy discrimination but that aside, I’m also out of work and I’m due to give birth in April. A couple of lovely people from my network have got in touch saying that they have open permanent roles. So I’m going to have an initial chat with them, but should I tell them that I’m pregnant? I’ve been assuming that if I get any work it will have to be Freelance or supply until April but I would rather have permanent. In either case I will not qualify for statutory maternity pay, I know that. This is more about whether to admit it or not in a first chat? Think kind, clever good people whom I already know a little bit… It would be a reasonably mid to senior role (no management, no running a department)

Definitely tell them

if they’re so lovely and kind, it won’t impact anything will it

Morally, yes.

you have to ask yourself one thing really …’am I a decent person?’

I'd wait til you get offered the job, then tell them.

If they weren't going to discriminate against you due to pregnancy, then it won't help them to know at the interview stage.

If they would discriminate against you, then telling them means you won't get the job.

So no benefit to anyone of telling them.

If the employer is a decent person, why would they need to know?

Of course you should tell them!

Yes tell them - if they're lovely they will be supportive.

i got fired while pregnant and the whole thing was a big hot mess of me taking them to court, not getting paid when i should have been etc etc.

So. I am bitter and maybe biased. But i would say nothing until you get offered a role.

What is your plan? Because my plan had always been to take 6 months off, and for DH to take paternity leave (not in UK - in a country with good maternity provisions so this was a huge shocker for all the agencies/lawyers i had to get infolved). But i never even got a chance to outline this.

It isn't devious, it isn't cheating and IMO it is not immoral. It is just seeing what the outcome is. If you don't get offered a job, there was no reason to tell them anyway. And if you do tell them and you don't get offered the job, then you will never know if they really are as lovely as you think they are.

Good luck!

why?

What if they aren't supportive?

No. Tell them if it gets to offer stage. Or if it's an in person interview it will be obvious?

How can you think that the fact that a jobseeker is pregnant won’t impact her job role?! Employer needs to make an informed decision based on the set of circumstances facing both employers and employees ahead. Glad you’re not my employee!

Ah, so the employer needs to know so that they have the opportunity to illegally discriminate against the woman?

Your idea of 'decent' is very different to mine!

This is exactly why pregnancy is now a protected characteristic under employment law. Glad you’re not my employer.

Are you essentially going to just get trained up and then go on mat leave? It's just a big upheaval for the company and I don't think it's morally correct that they essentially jump through hoops of interviewing hiring and training for you then to leave in a few short months for maternity leave.

but I guess there's not many options you have and you've got to do what you've got to do so it's a tricky one! Sorry that you got sacked at such an awful time too that's horrible for you to go through and so stressful

Then they ought not to employ someone if they cannot operate legally. Poor business accounts do not excuse discrimination at work.

Perhaps the pregnant woman can't afford to be unemployed?

If businesses can't afford to follow employment law maybe they aren't really viable. What other corners are the owners cutting?

Still doesn't mean it won't impact the role though.. it will. They will have to interview / hire / train for that person to leave only a few short months later. Then repeat the process.

it's not entirely fair on the company. I agree pregnancy should be protected, but the company should be able to make an informed decision beforehand to save them wasting time and Mel on training for the person to leave for god knows how long in the new year.

Obviously you have to tell them, yes. Not sure why you would think otherwise!

So no one should ever take a job and leave? I've never seen that raised as a moral issue before 🤔Do you have a minimum duration in mind before employees should be allowed to leave? What if they break a leg or something?

Look into Maternity Allowance from the government, you’ll almost certainly qualify for that. Sorry but I agree you should tell them - otherwise realistically you’re going to start work in Jan and leave in March. I can’t see how that is fair to anyone.

Well clearly from this thread, because some employers would use that information to discriminate? Did you not think about it very hard 😂

It's thought provoking isn't it!

I'd feel obliged to tell, but as pp have said, and rightly so, if it would make a difference (ie if they'd have known then they wouldn't have given you the job) then THEY are breaking the law.

And if it wouldn't make a difference (in keeping with the law) then there is no logical reason to disclose.