New Job Offer at 3 months Pregnant

[Anonymous]

I am currently expecting this fall (not "out" at work yet) and was informally offered a position in a different department at my workplace. If I accept, I will be in this position for about 5 months before I go on maternity leave (12 weeks). I will return back to work after the 12 weeks. I am having the formal discussions with the manager and HR representative next week and am not sure how to handle the news of my pregnancy. Should I bring it up next week during discussions or after I formally accept or after I start the new position in a month?

[Anonymous]

Since it is a job within the same company you will be protected under the FMLA.

This is a tough call and a lot depends on context and rapport with your employer. I know one person that withheld the information and crossed her fingers after the contracts were signed (although she was starting at a new company). It worked out for her but I personally would not risk it.

If I were in your position, I would be forthcoming about the pregnancy now. I would hate having resentment from a prospective employer for withholding the information.

[Anonymous]

I would not let them know until after you accept. Otherwise, they might rescind.

[Anonymous]

Wait until the move is finalized. You are under no obligation, legally, ethically or morally, to disclose your pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wait until the move is finalized. You are under no obligation, legally, ethically or morally, to disclose your pregnancy.

Legally, no, I think morally, yes.

[Anonymous]

I think a lot depends on your workplace. How much longer were you planning to wait before disclosing your pregnancy? In your current position, when you go on leave, how would your work be covered? What sort of arrangement would you envision in the new position?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think a lot depends on your workplace. How much longer were you planning to wait before disclosing your pregnancy? In your current position, when you go on leave, how would your work be covered? What sort of arrangement would you envision in the new position?

OP here. I wasn't planning on disclosing my pregnancy until after the 20 week scan/when I am showing (whichever comes first).

In my current position, we work on assigned projects. I planned on leaving my current project in a near-complete state, and then I would most likely not get assigned a new project until I got back from maternity leave.

In the new position, it deals a lot with the company board and their schedule/needs, so it would be harder to put things on "hold" while I am out. More than likely they will distribute some load to the other team members and/or hire someone else from within the company to temporarily fill in. That is what they have done in the past with team members on maternity leave.

I guess another possibly pertinent aspect of this situation is that the new position is open because the current employee is leaving the company due to the birth of her 3rd child. Her last day is several weeks before her due date (she has obviously given her management plenty of notice).

[Anonymous]

I would tell HR and the manager. Say you really want the position but to be fair to them you want to make sure that they have this information. If they want you in the position then this will be a temporary inconvenience but should not impact you getting the job. This is what I would do in your situation.

[Anonymous]

I would accept and also inform them of the pregnancy in the same written document.

[Anonymous]

Lean In! Take it.

When I was pregnant with my 1st I started "playing it safe". Too concerned about how my decisions will impact others.

In retrospect - I wish I had put myself out a bit more.

[Anonymous]

How much do you want the other job? Is it a promotion or does it pay better? If so, I'd probably not disclose. If it is more a lateral move and you Are neutral on how much you want it, I'd disclose.

So much can still go wrong at three months.

It would suck to miss out on a promotion if the pregnancy may not even go to term.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would tell HR and the manager. Say you really want the position but to be fair to them you want to make sure that they have this information. If they want you in the position then this will be a temporary inconvenience but should not impact you getting the job. This is what I would do in your situation.

I'm 14:30 and this is probably what I would do too. My job was similar in that it was a lot of on-going stuff. They shifted it to another person in the company while I was gone. She got a bonus for doing two people's job for 6 months. We had a "back up coverage" model though so she already knew the people I worked with and the work we did fairly well and vice-versa.

You're not OBLIGATED to tell them, but I personally would feel wrong about accepting a job and then leaving in a few months for a few months if they didn't know that was in the cards before they made a formal offer. Just feels disingenuous to me.

[Anonymous]

Lean In! There is no moral obligation to an employer where you are exchanging hours of labor for money. That garbage is what women believe and why it hurts us in the workplace. Don't try to be liked. That said, when you start this job go for it and grab it by the balls. Don't plead "pregnancy brain" or any of that.

[Anonymous]

If I had $1 for every friend who got screwed telling early, I would be rich. I would have $0 from friends who withheld telling and faced no negative repercussions. No one cares. 3 mo off is a blip.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am currently expecting this fall (not "out" at work yet) and was informally offered a position in a different department at my workplace. If I accept, I will be in this position for about 5 months before I go on maternity leave (12 weeks). I will return back to work after the 12 weeks. I am having the formal discussions with the manager and HR representative next week and am not sure how to handle the news of my pregnancy. Should I bring it up next week during discussions or after I formally accept or after I start the new position in a month?

None of their business. I started my new job in March and had my baby in June. This was a position in a new agency. I went out on leave for 3 months and the last month I gradually started working from home a few days a week before coming back into the office.

I think I eventually told my new supervisor that I was pregnant sometime after I started working. I didn't show really until the last month-but, because they never saw me before many people didn't know that I was "gone" for 3 months because I gave birth.