In general, and notwithstanding any internal workplace policies, you should disclose your pregnancy to your employer by no later than 10 weeks prior to any planned paid or unpaid parental leave.
When should I tell my manager that I'm pregnant? One concrete recommendation is to notify your employer at the end of the first trimester (12-13 weeks). Around this time, some women begin to show, and the risk of miscarriage is lower.
Try this: I'm thrilled to share the news that I'm pregnant! I'm due in [number of weeks], but as you've seen my work output has not changed. I'd like work with you to devise a plan so there's coverage during my maternity leave, and in the meantime, I've pulled together notes on [your daily tasks].
Answer: No, you are not legally required to tell your employer that you're pregnant as soon as you know about it or at any particular point in your pregnancy. Most employees keep their condition to themselves until they are at least through the first trimester.
Federal law does not prohibit employers from asking you whether you are or intend to become pregnant. However, because such questions may indicate a possible intent to discriminate based on pregnancy, we recommend that employers avoid these types of questions.
Legally, you don't have to notify your employer at all until late in your pregnancy.
You aren't required to disclose a pregnancy in a job interview. You're not even required to tell your boss when you're in a job, although eventually, you'll want to bring it up. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act makes it illegal to discriminate against a woman on the basis of pregnancy.
You are under no legal obligation to tell a prospective employer about your pregnancy, but it might be a good idea for several reasons. It is best to be open and honest about parts of your life that will affect your employment.
Legally, pregnant women can continue to work the average 40 hours a week or the hours that they were working previously. However, a pregnant employee must only continue to work these hours if it is safe to do so, physically and emotionally.
When you can get statutory maternity pay. This is the type of maternity pay that most people get. Your employer has to pay you this if: you work for your employer in the 15th week before your baby is due and have worked for them for at least 26 weeks before that (you can find your dates by entering your due date below)
Pregnant women are often advised to wait until they pass the 12-week mark, when the risk of miscarriage drops sharply, to announce their pregnancies to the world.
Many women choose to wait until after their 12 week scan to tell their employer they are pregnant. However, you may want to consider telling your boss before this point if you are… It's important to bear in mind that your line manager or HR department ought to be the first to know before you tell colleagues.
Although you cannot legally be fired for telling, or not telling, your employer you are pregnant, you need to consider your health and the health of your unborn child when deciding how to proceed.
Sick leave during pregnancy
If you are too ill to work you may need to take sick leave. You should follow your employer's sick leave procedures. Most employers will allow you to have a few days off without a doctor's note, but for longer periods of time they can ask for a doctor's note.
Can they sack me? It is unlawful for your employer to treat you less favourably because of your pregnancy or your intention to take maternity leave. This means that your employer cannot give you a bad performance review because you are pregnant or for a reason connected to your pregnancy, like sick leave.
Start Early
Now, by law, a company can't deny you employment because you're pregnant, and you're not legally required to let potential employers know that you're expecting. But keep in mind, if you waltz into an interview with a burgeoning bump, you may receive some raised eyebrows—or a swift guide to the exit.
You'll likely notice the first signs of a bump early in the second trimester, between weeks 12 and 16. You might start showing closer to 12 weeks if you are a person of lower weight with a smaller midsection, and closer to 16 weeks if you're a person with more weight.
However, many people would still consider miscarriage a bereavement. An employer should still consider offering time off at what can be an extremely difficult time, both physically and emotionally. Some employers might have a policy that says employees can take a period of paid leave specifically for pregnancy loss.
At 4 weeks pregnant, a home pregnancy test could show a positive result if you have high enough levels of the pregnancy hormone hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which is present in your urine about 10 days after conception.
Many women choose to delay announcing a pregnancy at least until the end of the first trimester (12 weeks into their pregnancy). This is usually because of concerns about the risk of miscarriage (pregnancy loss) during this time.
Whether it's surprising or welcome news, most newly pregnant women immediately want to tell someone. While many women know they are pregnant as early as a week after a missed period, social norms dictate pregnancy announcements should wait until after the all-important 12-week mark.
You'd still be eligible for Ordinary Maternity leave (OML), though, which lasts for 26 weeks, as it doesn't matter how many hours you work, or how long you've been in your job. You are entitled to this from the first day in a new job and it can start from the 11th week before your baby is due.
So how much time off should parents be able to take? UNICEF recommends six months of leave for all parents to help with children's development and to strengthen that parental bond. Data from New America shows anything less than 25 weeks of leave doesn't meet basic maternal or infant needs.
Longer paid leave significantly increases breastfeeding initiation and duration, which has innumerable benefits for moms and babies, including improving the function of the digestive and immune system of the child, and reduces risk of breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes, and obesity for the mother.