One of the most beautiful gifts that God has bestowed on womankind is the fact that they can bear a child. As we are all well aware that there are two kinds of pregnancies both planned as well as unplanned, so in the event of finding out that you are pregnant then you should go right ahead and discuss it with your boss as soon as possible so that he can make the necessary arrangements. However, things become a bit more complex when you as a new employee have to break the news to your boss. Here are some useful tips on announcing a pregnancy to your new employer, which you can make use of.
Telling Employer about Pregnancy:
1. Ensure that you have visited the doctor and are sure:
Though this might sound like a stupid thing to say, but very often without having confirmed the fact of whether they are pregnant or not, women go around spreading the word based on a pregnancy test which they have taken. So ensure that you are absolutely sure before you go about spreading the world and even consult a doctor before doing anything else. There is nothing more awkward and embarrassing that a false alarm in this regard. Once you are sure about it then you can go right ahead and proceed to do the needful.
2. Show that you are visibly happy about being pregnant:
When you are pregnant you should not shy away from showing your happiness at the fact as this is most certainly a joyous thing. One of the worst mistakes you can make is enter your boss’s office looking visibly nervous as well as sad, because this is no cause to be morose. Though most certainly, you should maintain the required professional decorum and talk in a dignified manner, yet if you try your best to put on too much of a stern as well as serious exterior chances are that you will come across as fake. So let your excessive joy unapologetically reflect on your face.
3. Say that you will continue to work for the first few months:
As all of us know women continue to work for their first trimester or so, unless of course there is some complications in the pregnancy. Continuing to work is something that can do you a world of good as it helps a great deal in allowing you to alleviate your mind from your present aches, pains or morning sickness which you may be experiencing. So in the midst of your talk do mention that you will continue to work for as long as you can before you go ahead and take your maternity leave. This will show that you care about your job a great deal.
4. Mention that you would not like to take up additional responsibility:
When you are pregnant you will be experiencing a plethora of physical, mental as well as emotional changes. Dealing with these changes is no simple task at all, so you should tell your boss right at the onset that you will certainly not be able to take on any additional responsibility and in addition to this if possible he or she should cut down your work load so that you do not end up feeling too bowed down. So even if you are a new member at this office you should not try your best at such a time to prove your worth. You will get plenty of chances in the future to do so.
5. Say that you will require the help of your co-workers:
In the event of being pregnant, you should discuss the matter with your boss, and ensure that you make a proper appointment with him such that he can give you his undivided attention. Chances are that if you approach him in the corridor or while he is busy the matter might slip his mind entirely. So do remember to say, that you might require a little help from your co workers, especially on those days when you are experiencing morning sickness and pangs of uneasiness. There is no point in hiding any facts as everyone knows that pregnant women need to take it easy.
6. Ensure that you do not make promises which you cannot keep:
One of the worst things which you can do while conversing with your boss in this regard, is making promises which you know that you will be unable to keep. No matter how career oriented and ambitious you are, you should not shy away from taking it easy during the months when you are pregnant. Above everything else, your primary focus should be on yourself as well as the well being of your baby. So do not make any kind of promises to work from home during your maternity leave.
7. Mention that on some days you might not be able to come in to the office:
When you are pregnant you have to so many things to deal with and in addition to trying to cope with all the changes taking place within you, you also have to make multiple preparations for when the baby will come, these preparations include, decorating a nursery, buying clothes for the baby, ordering a changing table etc. Another thing is that you also have to do plenty of reading up so as to ensure that you are well equipped to handle any sudden situation which may arise. So state in advance that sometimes you might not be able to come to work on certain days and your employer shouldn’t have a problem with that.
8. You can try your best to work from home:
Though you should certainly not agree to work from home during your maternity leave as that is the time which you should use to recuperate and take care of your baby. After all, new born babies are an absolute handful. Yet, before the baby comes, on days where you might not be able to commute, but are still mentally able to deal with tasks, you should ask your boss if he or she would be comfortable with you working from home, rather than having you try to make your way to the office using some kind of public transport, which will certainly be a nightmare.
9. State that you will not be able to do any field work involving physical activity:
If you know for a fact that your usual job has plenty to do with you moving around as well as travelling from one place to another, you should make it a point to tell your new employer that while you are pregnant you will not be able to do any such tasks which involve a lot of movement, as moving around will most certainly not be easy. Do not shy away from saying these things as chances are that you boss will be both understanding as well as accommodating. The very fact that you are taking the trouble to talk it out shows how much you care.
10. You will not be able to manage much leadership roles:
If you are pregnant for the very first time, then chances are that you are going to be both nervous and scared. You will be rather unstable psychologically as well, so rather than going out of your way to do more , you should tell your employer that whatever leadership roles you have been carrying out, you will be unable to carry them out for the time being as long as you are pregnant. When you mention something like this you silently communicate to your boss that you are someone who is not power hungry in the least bit and you never bit off more than you can chew.
11. Do not show signs of weakness of vulnerability:
Owing to the fact that you are a new employee at the office, you should not at any point in time feel shy to discuss the matter of your pregnancy with your boss. So do not worry, hold your head up high and speak in a very confident manner. If you are weak and vulnerable then you give people the chance to steamroll over you.
12. Say that you will continue to give your best at all times:
Owing to the fact that you are a new employee at the office chances are that your boss or employer does not know you very well, so you should try to communicate through your words, that the reason why you are taking the trouble and talking about your pregnancy is because you truly do care about your job and at no point in time do you want to let the company down. As an employee your primary focus should always be the welfare of the company name rather than constantly trying to constantly chase after your own selfish goals.
13. Inquire about maternity leave from other co-workers:
Prior to talking to your boss about your pregnancy you should make it a point to do some reading up about the maternity leave which is due to a woman with child and if you have managed to make some friends then do make it a point to inquire with them too if they are aware of the treatment generally meted out to pregnant women. If you step into the office uninformed or even unaware of the rights which are due to you then you might find yourself in a sticky situation. You have to constantly look into your own needs first in the business world.
14. Then ask any maternity leave related questions you have to your employer:
Once you have gathered all the information which you think you need, you should then consider discussing your pregnancy with your new employer. The purpose of this discussion is so that you can speak your mind and ask any number of questions which have been plaguing your mind. Nowadays when they ask questions people feel that they are airing their ignorance however rather contrary to that, when you ask questions you show how bright you are. So rather than being in doubt you should do the needful immediately as you may not get to speak to your employer again.
15. Make no promise to come back before your leave ends:
In your short span of working for the company if you have proved beyond doubt that you are a good employee then chances are that your boss is certainly going to be a little hesitant to let you go, even it is for a matter of a few months. Legally he or she cannot ask you to cut short your maternity leave, yet what he can do is tell you to come back as soon as possible by offering you incentives or even perks. However, you should most certainly not be swayed by any of these things and you should continue to stand your ground.
16. Do not be afraid of losing your job:
Last but certainly not the least is that you should most certainly not be scared about losing your job. Remember that if at any point in time your employer puts pressure on you or even goes so far as to be angry with you, then you should not shy away from taking legal action as such behavior is absolutely incorrigible and should not be tolerated at all.
So this is the way in which you can go about telling your new employer about the fact that you are with child. You should have no qualms about speaking freely and openly as chances are that he or she will be very understanding, because legally speaking, he cannot do anything at all. So as soon as you think the time is right and you have been able to digest the fact of your pregnancy as well, you should go ahead and do the needful. Rather than stressing yourself out for the next nine months you should focus all your energies on the well-being of your child and yourself.
