Starting new job pregnant

[mitchtjmjlj]

hi all what are the rights if I'm starting a new job 8weeks pregnant. When do I tel the boss!? Will I get maternity pay? Eeek!! X

[AnnieBrooke]

Yes to the remark about the relationship with the boss.  There is the legal question (do I have any right to anything that will help me financially when pregnant) but there is also the not-sandbagging-the-boss issue, which goes to future job references or to the chance for promotions in this company.  If there is not an endless parade of candidates for your job or it could be difficult for your boss to fill your position in the time left between when you announce your pregnancy and your impending departure, give some thought to the timing of your announcement, and to ways to make it the least difficult for the people who have to manage your work when you go on leave.  The more you show that you have considered the boss' problem (when an employee he thinks is going to be around a while suddenly says she is not going to), the more likely you are to look like a great employee for whom it is worth holding a spot when you're done with your leave.

[eesscott]

I found out I was pregnant a week after I started a new job. I told my boss at the end of the first trimester, which is when I told the rest of the world. I learned you have to be employed for a full year AND have 1250 hours to qualify for FMLA so I do not get that.  However, my boss is great and is letting me take 12 weeks off with a combo of short term disability, vacation time, and unpaid leave.

While you don't legally have to tell your boss anything, you should consider how telling him well affect your relationship. My boss said he appreciated knowing early so he could plan accordingly and be sympathetic to doctor visits.  I also made it a point to do the best work I could and volunteer for projects so he could see I was a committed employee even though I would be taking time off.  I also made it a point to let him know that I planned to work as long as I could and would return to work after my leave.

They can't fire you for being pregnant and if they come up with some lame excuse to let you go, your boss was likely an @ss anyway and would have been a nightmare to work for.  If that happens, better to have a different job anyway. Good luck!

[hothotsauce]

I told my boss around 20 weeks but legally you don't ever have to tell them.  You might qualify for short term disability in your state depending on the laws.  Here it's 60% of your pay for 2 weeks with a vaginal birth and 4 weeks with a c-section.

[figaro08j]

Tell them after your 1st trimester.  Unless your sick alot tell them now.

[Teagan_Chelle]

It all comes down to your company, really. Maternity Leave, unfortunately, is not a required benefit  in the US, so in most cases you'll need to save money before you go leave for the amount of time that you plan to take off. There is the Family Medical and Leave Act, or FMLA, but all that does is protect your job up to 12 weeks and it's unpaid leave - to qualify for that, you need to be in your position actively for either a year or 1,250 hours. In some companies you have the option to use Short term Disability while you go on leave, and it's usually a combination of that plus any vacation time, sick time, etc. But, most companies require a certain length or service before you can utilize any of those. I found myself in your position in February when I found out that I was pregnant for I had only been in my job for three months when I found out. Knowing that I'd go on leave before my one-year anniversary, I worked a lot of overtime since then to give me my 1,250 hours after a little research with HR. So definitely either talk to your boss or your HR rep to see wha
the options that you for sure have, so you can plan appropriately.

[Pray4me2015]

Check your employee handbook. You will have been employed for less than a year, which could affect your ability to fall under FMLA, but depending on how many how's you work and how big the company is you could still qualify. As for short term disability, most companies' insurers require a year before you become eligible for those benefits. Your company may be different.

Only tell your boss when you can't hide it anymore. Some bosses in attempt to be nice will try to reduce your workload or hours in an effort to help. Which could affect your paycheck and FMLA eligibility.

Good luck.

[Alexk123]

Ive been at my job for two years and I just barely qualified for fmla, but depending on the type of job you have you may still get it. If not, ask as soon as possible about short term disability, it'll take about $20 a month from your pay but then you'll be covered for a while when baby comes, and if anything else happens!

[Loving4ever]

^i believe its 1250 hours worked in the past 12 months for the same company to qualify for fmla.
But like the place i work, they'll let you go on unpaid maternity leave even if you just got hired so i would talk to the boss about your options.
All fmla does is protect your job and pay for 12 weeks i believe.

[mags242001]

In order for you to qualify for maternity or fmla u have to be working for the company for a certain time. I believe it's a year before u get pregnant also for insurance purposes.  U must be employed for that company providing insurance for a certain time. But not completely sure on how much.

[Leabellallee]

If you'll be going through orientation then pay special attention to any benefits sections they cover. Usually if there is no formal orientation for new hires, they at least give you an employee handbook. Typically there is info about benefits and maternity leave or FMLA. It's againist the law to ask someone if they're married, pregnant, or have children during an interview. Of course, plenty of employers ask anyway. The point is, you're not going to legally get in trouble for being preg when you start a job.  And if they fire you, you sue for wrongful termination. Like someone else mentioned how good the benefits are will depend on the size of the company you work for.

[AnnieBrooke]

I think it helps that you accepted the job three months ago when you were not pregnant, even if you didn't begin the job yet.  I'm not talking about "the rights" as much as the boss being angry if you hid a material fact when you were interviewing.  It's never good to have your employer feel like you sandbagged him when you applied for the job.

Employment rights vary when it comes to pregnancy.  One thing that matters is how big the company is.  A very large company is subject to equal-employment laws, and has enough money to cover the costs.  It might have some generous benefits in terms of paid leave, and also how much time you can take off once the baby comes and expect your job back when you return.  A super-small company, on the other hand, is not expected by the law to rise to those levels.  Not even equal-rights laws expect, for example, a three-person business to carry an employee who is home with a baby or to offer the person their job back when they are ready to come back to work.  

If your company is big, talk to the HR department.  One issue will be how long you have worked for the company when it is time for maternity leave, since you might have to vest (work there a certain number of months or a year) to qualify for the benefits.

[mitchtjmjlj]

Also I accepted the job 3 months ago if that's any difference