I have a friend that has received a job offer but she is 5 months pregnant.?

Question

Should she let the employer know she is pregnant. The pregnancy will not intere with how well she does her job.

If she was never asked if she was pregnant then it is not a lie. If they were to ask about physical restraints she would let them know. But they did not ask and she was not sure if she should volunteer it.

maternity leave 6 weeks in US

Answer 1

Accept the job first. Be knowledgeable of equal employment and discrimination laws. They don't apply until after you're hired. Then tell them about the pregnancy.

Tell them first, you may have no job.

Answer 2

She should tell the employer since she was that way when she took the job. The employer will consider this as lieing on the job application which is grounds for firing an employee. The friend could have been assigned to a very important project and if she has to go to the hospital right in middle of the project there may be no one to take over. This was very important client who wants a answer as soon as possible and can not wait until a new person is assigned the project since the new person would have to look the information gathered before and take longer to make a decision when the project was to be completed by a certain deadline.

Answer 3

Legally, I believe she does not have to disclose her pregnancy... however, if she has a face-to-face meeting, it may be self-evident!

I question how you know the pregnancy will not interfere with how well she does her job... speaking from experience, I can honestly say that pregnancy does affect job performance - i.e. hormones, tiredness, physical constraints, etc. As well, she will be on maternity leave for anywhere from 3 months to 1 year, during which time the position will have to be covered by someone else. That alone poses more questions.

However, the question itself does speak to honesty, values and priorities. There will always be other opportunities, but your family should be #1 priority.

There are also other considerations, i.e. is this a 'job' or a 'career'? Is it 'entry level' or 'upward move'... so many variables to be taken into consideration.

Plus, have your friend put herself in the employer's position. How would she feel if someone accepted a position with her and was pregnant? Makes one go hmmmmmmm...

Answer 4

Legally, she is under no obligation to disclose her pregnancy. Most employers will find a way to not hire her if they suspect or know she is pregnant, or fire her upon accepting employment.

There are laws to protect women from this type of discrimination; but proving wrong-doing is another matter and very difficult to prove.

If she tells her employer, after being hired that she is pregnant, they may be accepting...or they may create a very passive-aggressive or hostile environment that won't be a healthy place for a pregnant woman to be.

Your friend is a no-win situation unfortunately. Most employers see a pregnant woman as a liability. They think she won't have the stamina or commitment for her job. They will think about time off from work, exhaustion with a new baby, and her ability to juggle not only a new job, but a new baby too.

I will hope that your friend has a kind employer. Plus, a pregnancy always affects how a woman does her job to a certain degree. Pregnancy causes exhaustion and bodily stress, although it can be managed. I have four children and although I functioned at 98% while pregnant...I wasn't at my usual 100%.

Answer 5

First how can a pregnancy not interfere with her job. Between doctors appointment, time off to have the baby, fatigue and so much more she would be crazy not to tell them upfront. If she was only a couple of months than maybe she could get by with not telling them but to be five months and not say anything will really raise questions about her integrity. Once that questions has been raised you really have a hard time ever removing that little cloud that will be over her head. Secondly there are a lot of woman that do not even return to work after they have their baby. Really and truly she is putting the employer in a bad situation because the money it will cost to train her and than train someone else. I think she is really not being fair to the employer. If she had more time I would not disagree with what she is doing but it is going to take her two months to really get acclimated to her new position and than she will have one good month to enjoy it. Than it will be time to bring someone else in. Not to mention the fact that she will not have been in the position long enough to truly establish herself as the go to person for that job. This situation has so many levels that I do not think have been thought through properly at all.

Answer 6

Personally, I don't think she has to let her employer know until she is comfortable. She will have to let her employer know so they can prepare for maternity leave, and insurance for the new little one. It shouldn't be a point of stress for her though. She should do it on a time table that lets everyone plan for the event accordingly. Baby Talk magazine suggests at least 15 weeks before the baby is due.

Answer 7

well your friend should take the job if she wants it and no she doens thave to tell the employer before she accepts the job. In the US an emplyeer can not discrminate against a pregnant woman.. So when she is ready and has taken the job she can tell her employeer about it and take maternity leave as needed. and return to the job later if wanted. An employeer can not fire or not hire you just because you are pregnant.

Answer 8

Absolutely she should let her employer know. If she does not, it will soon be known that she knowingly deceived the employer and the distrust issues will not be easy to resolve or overcome. The employer should not be able to refuse employment on the grounds of her "pregnancy" or "illness" anyway. Check your state laws. Your friend should assure the emp. that she intends to come back to work after the baby is born and appreciates the opportunity for the job training now that will allow her to get right to work upon return.

Answer 9

The federal discrimination laws prohibit an employer from asking whether an applicant is pregnant. She has a right to keep this private. However, I will tell you that she is better off telling them up front and reinforcing her own commitment to work hard after she returns from maternity leave.

Answer 10

Yes, she does need to tell her potential employer that she's pregnant. He/ she has a right to know that they will be without her during her hospital time. Also if she plans to take maternity leave, her boss needs to know this too. I'm sure they will be understanding and as accomodating as they can. But, you need to remember, they're running that business and they're hiring her for a reason. They have a job that needs to get done--somehow, by someone. If she's going to be out for a little while, they need to know so they can cover their own needs during her absence. Finally, it's just plain respectful. In general, if you're straight with others, forthright, and honest; they'll respect you for it. She'll have their trust and THAT COULD SET HER APART ENOUGH TO HELP HER ADVANCE IN HER CAREER quicker!!