Whether you love or hate your job, you’re probably glad to have employment during these tough times. But as a result, many pregnant women are reluctant to share their baby news with the boss.
A recent WiserPregnancy survey found that income makes a difference when pregnant women share the news. Higher-income women are less likely than lower-income women to tell their employer early in the pregnancy:
- 53% of women from low-income ($30,000 or less per year) households share the news in the first two months
- 38% of women from high-income ($100,000 or more per year) households tell their boss in the first two months
There could be several reasons for this. While it’s illegal to fire someone or withhold a promotion or raise because a woman’s pregnant, keeping pregnant women off certain projects is at the company’s discretion. For some higher-income positions, telling an employer about a pregnancy could sabotage a woman’s responsibilities while still on the job.
Also, as a pregnant woman’s job duties get shifted in anticipation of her maternity leave, she could fear that the company will realize, Hey, she’s not so indispensable after all. These days, that realization could lead to being downsized – not because she’s pregnant, but unnecessary.
A third factor: Around 40% of women are the primary breadwinner for their families, according to Time magazine’s report, The State of American Women. Anything that puts that livelihood at risk, including pregnancy, is cause for concern.
In many ways, your pregnancy shouldn’t affect your employer until you’re ready to take maternity leave. However, if you are worried about the career ramifications, you may want to wait to notify your employer until you have a solid action plan in mind.
If your boss brings up the subject before you’re ready to discuss it, don’t lie. Ask for time to work out the specifics and give your employer an estimate when you plan to have the discussion. (Learn more about how others are managing work during pregnancy.)
When did you share your baby news with your boss? What were – or are – your concerns?
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