#When should you announce a pregnancy how to
#When should you announce a pregnancy professional

Under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, or F.M.L.A., public agencies, and private employers with 50 or more employees, must provide new or expecting parents 12 weeks of leave over a 12-month period to care for themselves and/or their baby. You should review your company’s policies as well. The work-life advocacy organization A Better Balance has specific state and local information on its website. Twenty-seven states, the District of Columbia and four cities have additional laws that offer further protections. The federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act ensures that pregnant women who work for an employer of at least 15 people must be provided with the same benefits and accommodations as nonpregnant workers.

#When should you announce a pregnancy professional

“If you’ve told other co-workers and they end up hearing about it through the grapevine, it looks like you’re deliberately hiding something from them, which may lead them to question your commitment to the company and also your own professional relationship.” Do your homework beforehand.īefore telling your boss, make sure you review your state’s policies on pregnancy and parental leave. “When you notify your boss first, it demonstrates respect,” advised Daisy Dowling, founder and CEO of Workparent, a consulting firm in New York City.

But also make sure you’ve been tight-lipped with colleagues and aren’t posting ultrasound pictures on social media. If you worry that your boss won’t be happy with your news, or if for other reasons you don’t want to reveal anything yet, then don’t. Just make sure you explain to your supervisor that you’re not going public with this information for a few more weeks, so he doesn’t accidentally announce your pregnancy at the next staff meeting.

“If you’re experiencing severe morning sickness, that may mean you’re getting into work late or need to work from home a few days a week, or will be out a lot for doctor appointments, then you’ll need to break the news even earlier,” Martin stressed. Some women may need to inform their bosses before that. “Your boss will most likely appreciate being told as soon as you’re comfortable, so that they can start thinking ahead to your maternity leave,” she said. Most women end up sharing the news with their bosses around the end of the first trimester, when they may be starting to show and the risk of miscarriage has decreased, said Emily Martin, J.D., vice president for education and workplace justice at the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. A 2017 University of Memphis study published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that women who concealed their pregnancies at any stage reported more anxiety and distress during interactions with colleagues than those who shared the news. For this guide, I interviewed three lawyers who specialize in employment law, as well as a consultant who assists organizations in developing and implementing family-friendly policies, for advice on how best to break the baby news to your boss.īut realistically, you’re going to want to tell your boss well before your third trimester, and research suggests that it may be a good idea to have the conversation early on. “That’s one reason why in many cases it can be so hard to prove.”īecause pregnancy discrimination is often subtle and hard to prove, how and when you reveal your pregnancy to your employer can matter a great deal. “Pregnancy discrimination can be as subtle as noticing that you’re not being picked anymore for key assignments, or not being given as much work or responsibility,” said Sarah Fleisch Fink, J.D., general counsel and director of workplace policy for the National Partnership for Women & Families. While almost one-third of the complaints were filed by women alleging they were fired because they were pregnant, other common claims included discriminatory employment conditions and workplace harassment. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state-level agencies between October 2010 and September 2015. According to the National Partnership for Women & Families, almost 31,000 pregnancy discrimination charges were filed with the U.S.

#When should you announce a pregnancy how to

Few women use girdles to hide their pregnancies anymore, but many still worry about when and how to let their bosses know that they’re expecting.