Telling The Boss You're Pregnant

Getting pregnant is a joy of life. When you become pregnant, you might begin on planning how to tell your family and friends. But perhaps you should also prepare yourself in informing your office about it as well.

Although women and men are supposed to be treated equally at work, it usually stops when she decides to have a family. Dealing with pregnancy at work is something your doctor or midwife cannot answer. However, here are our answers to many work-related issues dealing with opening up to your boss about your pregnancy.

Don't tell until you need to - When you need to discuss it depends on your medical condition, potential workplace hazards, and your plans. Generally, your pregnancy is legally irrelevant to your work. You need to keep on performing very well on your job.

Discuss to others beforehand - There will likely come a time when your pregnancy will be too obvious to hide or that your medical condition will require accommodation. Discuss with your doctor beforehand about any workplace hazards and make a decision about the risks. You should also contact your local labor or women's right office (such as the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) to find out what you rights are. You should also be aware of how to file a complaint if you need to.

Review your company's health policies - Check out your company's short-term disability and medical policies. Look for anything that strikes you as treating pregnancy as any different from any other short-term disability. Your company may also have a specific maternity leave policy.

Review your own job performance - Especially since the time you became pregnant. You want to demonstrate that you can and have done the job even though you are pregnant. You also want to pay attention so that when the employer starts to reduce your duties, you can document the change.

Make an appointment - Arrange a meeting with human resources and let them know about your pregnancy.