taking a Fed job offer when you are pregnant
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Anonymous
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Hi, I'm wondering if those who have worked as a Fed can advise on the following situation. I have an offer (pending background check) from an agency (part of leg. branch) with a start date later in the summer. When I interviewed I was not pregnant, but it took them many months to get back to me (this is a much desired and awaited pregnancy after a couple of losses). Due date would be 4 months after the start date, after which I would likely take the max allowed maternity leave (I believe something around 3 months?)
I feel bad that I have to take such a long leave so soon after starting the new role. As I understand the first couple of months is just training, so I'd go on leave before contributing anything substantive to the team. Now I'm in the awkward position of deciding if I should tell them before I take the offer, or wait until after I start. By then the pregnancy will show so I won't have a choice. Has anyone been in this position? What did you do? If you decided to not mention it, how did you supervisor/team take it when you show up to the first day of work visibly pregnant, knowing that means you will soon go on leave? Does it start you off on a bad foot for having concealed this kind of situation? I really hate the idea that people will think I'm trying to game the system and only took this job to get maternity benefits. |
Anonymous
| Sorry to break it to you but you’re not eligible for parental leave benefits unless you have been employed as a fed for at least 12 months. |
Anonymous
| Good to know - so what happens in this case, I guess unpaid leave? Rest of my questions still stand, how is viewed to be gone so soon after starting? Does it make sense to mention it now? I guess I don't see the point of mentioning it now unless you are essentially asking the hiring official to reconsider and rescind the offer? |
Anonymous
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A fed in the legislative branch?
If you're a new employee and not a prior fed, no FMLA available. You can go "in the hole" on advanced sick and annual leave (which is paid). There is no way for you to be able to negotiate paid maternity leave. I was pregnant when hired, but I was transferring from one agency to another. It was no big deal. You should know though that you don't get a replacement when you go out on leave. You will just come back to all the work piled up in your inbox. |
Anonymous
You can request unpaid leave (LWOP) however without 12 months of I employment they are similarly not required to approve it under FMLA so technically they could say no and terminate you. It’s highly unlikely that they would do so unless you already have proven to be a problem employee, but I would err on the side of discussing now rather than taking that risk. Since you are missing out on 3 months of paid leave I think people are far more likely to feel bad for you rather than judge you so wouldn’t worry about that being an issue. |
Anonymous
| Leg. branch can have completely different leave policies, so the advice in this thread may not apply to you. |
Anonymous
| My friend was in this situation and they let her take LWOP. |
Anonymous
This. |
Anonymous
thank you - this is a good perspective. They seem to really want me to join. Do you know the max LWOP you can take for something like childbirth? |
Anonymous
Did she disclose pregnancy before accepting the offer? |
Anonymous
| I had a friend in this situation and she negotiated leave when she accepted the offer. Tell them and see what they can do. |
Anonymous
Advanced sick leave assuming pp was correct. |
Anonymous
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At my agency (exec branch - they might be different) - I've learned that you don't get the 12 weeks until you hit your 1 year mark - but then you DO get the parental leave. So you would start, work for 3-4 months, take some SL, advanced SL, whatever, and then when you hit your 1 year anniversary, get 12 weeks paid leave.
Now, if you take LWOP it will delay your 1 year anniversary. AND if you hit your 1 year anniversary 8 weeks before your kid turns 1 you would only get 8 weeks paid leave, because the leave expires when your child turns 1 so you have to be able to use it all before then. |
Anonymous
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If I am a federal manager doing interviews I absolutely do not want to know if you are pregnant. It protects both of us because I am not allowed to consider it in my decision making. However, now that you have the offer, please discuss with your new HR. I would approve the LWOP, if asked, and I would try to get you fully onboarded and trained in the four months I have you.
I take this personally, as I had been waiting on either of two internal positions that dragged out for a long time. I was telling no one that I was pregnant, and then I had to get a modified schedule due to complications. They finally had the decision panel, and I was the one not selected of the three applicants. One of the two others was also completely qualified, but I was way more qualified than the other one. I actually empathize with the selection board, because why select someone to fill a needed position who then won’t effectively start for six months? You’re not supposed to consider it but it plays a factor, even subconsciously. I spoke to EEO a couple of years later, and they said I probably would have had a case if I had chosen to pursue it at the time. |
Anonymous
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Do not disclose before you get an offer! Absolutely not.
Also congrats!! |