Telling your Employer
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Once you have found out that you are pregnant, one hurdle you will have to get past is telling your employer. This is often a source of distress for many expectant mothers because they are not certain how their employers will respond. While your boss is likely to congratulate you, he or she is also likely to have some questions and wonder how this will impact business. Keep in mind that before making an appointment with your supervisor to let them in on the news or even worse, just blurting it out, it is best to give some thought to the matter and make sure that you have a plan in mind.
When is the best time to tell your employer that you are pregnant? This all depends. Many women choose to wait until the first trimester has passed before they let their employer in on the news. This is perfectly acceptable. During the first trimester, unless you have a risky pregnancy, you will only be seeing your doctor once per month so there will be no need to take off excessive amounts of work. In the event that your pregnancy is high risk and /or you are experiencing problems then you may need to have your work duties altered or be off from work more frequently. In that case you may need to let your employer in on the news sooner than you had expected. At any rate, you should definitely let your employer know that you are pregnant by your 15th week.
Keep in mind that regardless of when you tell your employer, it is important to make sure that your direct supervisor is the first person at your place of employment that you tell. While you may be tempted to gab about it with co-workers your supervisor should not hear the news through the office grapevine.
When you do decide to tell your employer that you are pregnant, you should have a well thought out plan in mind and be prepared to give your supervisor several key pieces of information. First, you should be prepared to give your boss the date you plan to leave on maternity leave and the approximate date that you expect to return to work. Having a plan ready to provide to your boss will make it much easier for your boss to accept the news and will also improve your professional image. When considering the date you will need to leave for maternity leave, several factors should be taken into consideration, including your own medical as well as personal needs. If your job is particularly demanding and/or if you work in an environment that could potentially be toxic then you will likely need to leave sooner.
You should also be prepared to discuss how your work duties will be handled during your absence. Have an idea in mind of how you will train someone else to handle your duties.
In addition, you should also be prepared to let your employer know about any special considerations that you may need during this time. Remember that working while you are pregnant is not the same as working before pregnancy. It is unrealistic to think that nothing will change. You may experience morning sickness, even throughout the day, you may become tired more easily and you will likely need to leave at times for medical appointments.
While it should not seem to your supervisor as though everything is going to change simply because you are having a baby, it is important to let him or her know upfront that you may need some occasional time off while also providing assurance that you will let your supervisor know in advance when possible and that upon your return you will be certain that your work is completed.
