Pregnant And Working: Should she give her employer advance notice?

It’s scary to be pregnant for the first time.

Now, add to that what many women, including me long ago, face when they consider whether or not to continue working. Do I tell my boss of my ambivelant feelings toward my job, when I really *need* to work until the baby’s born? Brianne Clemmer, a close friend, sent her thoughts to me on this and has graciously allowed me to share them with you.

Any comments you have for Brianne can be left here. She’d love your input (and tell her she’s a natural blogger… she needs to join us in the blogosphere!)

Concerns of a Pregnant Employee
By Brianne Clemmer
As a working mother-to-be, I’ve quickly became aware of the pressures of being pregnant at work. Despite the general excitement among my co-workers (once I actually told them), there is an air of anticipation and unanswered questions. But let me back up a bit.

Pregnancy is an extremely exciting, joyful and stressful time for the parents-to-be. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not stressed in a bad way, but with everything your body goes through, who wouldn’t be a little stressed? When we found out we were expecting, we were thrilled. My next thought after the elation and a little bit of terror was, “How and when do I tell my work?” I would think this is a very common and relevant question for many women today. We’re expected to do and be everything – career woman as well as homemaker – so learning the balancing act takes a little time.

My husband and I decided that waiting until after the first trimester was a good time to spread the news past family. While I had some suspicious co-workers, for the most part my secret was well hidden, even if I did feel bad about it. However, since there is no requirement to tell your employer immediately, at least I had that reassurance. That and I never had morning sickness bad enough to hinder my job performance.

The most awkward moment for me had to be telling my immediate supervisor and co-workers – all men. Once that hurdle was over, all I had to do was make sure to get word to my other superiors and those I was close friends with before the office grapevine took over. I think that is rule #1 when it comes to disclosing pregnancy news at the office: make sure people who need to be told first (namely supervisors) are told first, and by you personally. Regardless of how eager you may be to share with your bosom buddy in the next cubicle, you can always defend your obligation to tell management first if word gets out before you can do the honors yourself. (And don’t fool yourself to think that anyone at the office will keep your secret.)

My next biggest concern was about how I would be treated, or watched, once my news was out. I try to be a good employee and work hard for my company, but no one has been pregnant here in almost 10 years. I had no idea how the news would settle and although it is illegal to fire someone due to pregnancy, that doesn’t mean that they can’t look for another reason to send you packing. Although I didn’t feel especially open to such a maneuver, the thought was still on my mind. Especially since health insurance and the extra income have suddenly become so precious!

I feel that the best way to avoid this problem is to keep up the level of work the company has come to expect of you. Also, remember that honesty is always the best policy. If you aren’t well enough to perform as you had previously due to morning sickness, chances are you will get better in a few weeks or months. In the meantime, let your boss know about your situation and try to work around it. Being honest is better than dragging in half and hour late or getting caught snoozing at your desk! If your morning sickness is so severe that it completely hinders your ability to function, see your doctor to see if there is anything they can do to help.

Fortunately, I have had only slight morning sickness, and although I’m continually exhaused from late nights, I manage to get to work on time. More or less. Now the only thing I have to consider is all the unasked questions about how long I will be out for maternity leave, or the really big one no one has hit me with yet (thankfully), do you plan to continue working… I think I’ll take Scarlett’s stance on that one and simly claim that “I’ll think about it tomorrow!”