Telling your boss
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
Forum Description: Pregnant! Wanting to chat to other mums-to-be (or dads-to-be)? Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas... This is that place!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=25092
Printed Date: 24 August 2025 at 7:20pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Telling your boss
Posted By: busybee
Subject: Telling your boss
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 12:36pm
|
Hi guys, I am on 8 weeks now and I have been thinking about when and how to tell my boss. He is not an overly friendly chatty type but not unpleasant or unreasonable. The thing is I moved to his team from another 4 months ago and I am not sure how long I can wait before telling him, before it becomes waiting too long. Our company says it is big on flexible working arrangements and family, but you never know what will happen until push gets to shove.Can you guys tell me how you told your bosses and what their reactions were?
|
Replies:
Posted By: myfullhouse
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 12:48pm
|
I am lucky in that I have a wonderful manager and a female (so helps a little). When I was pg with Jack I told her the day she came back from a 4wk holiday and I was about 10wks I think. I would have told her sooner but she had just gone on holiday when I found out.
With this baby I told my managers when I was about 5wks. One already had a child and the other was heavily pg so they were both great about it. I would think that waiting up to 12wks would be ok as that is what alot of people think is a 'safe' time to tell people. Good luck ------------- Lindsey 
|
Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 12:51pm
|
With my first I waited until we had reached our 2nd semester.
With this one .. it was hard to keep it a secret with the bump growing at the rate it did lol .. so I was about 8 weeks. Oh and I had no problems either time (same boss) ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
|
Posted By: .Mel
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 12:52pm
|
I pulled my boss into his office and just said hey I'm pregnant... he was like Oh no! I didn't actually have to tell him so early (according to the DOL website). Maybe wait until your 12wk scan? Follow up with your letter regarding your maternity leave etc. ------------- Mr Mellow (16) Miss Attitude (8) Destructa Kid (3) 
|
Posted By: Lee_Jon
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 12:57pm
|
I told her as soon as I found out but I asked her not to tell anyone about it just yet she’s been really good about it (she doesn’t have any kids). My work also promotes work/family life balance and when it comes to it they really do deliver on what they say. You don’t have to tell him yet but you might me surprised he could be quite good about it but then again they cant do anything about it, it’s a risk employers take when they hire females. |
Posted By: Mum_mum
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 1:09pm
|
I decided not to say anything until 12 weeks. Am sort of dreading telling them although i know they will be happy for me.
Last time i had to tell them cos i was m/cing and they were really good about it but have found out that pretty much the whole office knows about it and it wasnt me that told them 
I spose i just want to know everything is going to be ok before i tell them although if something wasnt i'd have to tell them anyway. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
 Angel baby - May 2008
|
Posted By: Jane25
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 1:26pm
|
I told mine at 5 wks cause I was feeling sick and had a couple of days off and figured it would then be easier if I needed more time off sick of for other pregnancy related stuff.
They were really good about it - really happy for me and really supportive so I'm glad I told them. ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
 [/url]
|
Posted By: LenaJudson
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 1:31pm
|
By law you only need to give 3 months notice that your going on Maternity leave... But everyone I know tells their boss around 12 weeks.
If it is baby #1 I would personally wait for the 12 week mark when the risk of m/c isn't so high. Personal choice though. I told my boss when I was about 8 weeks but like Jane I was quick sick and needed time off / late starts so needed to tell them why! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 1:45pm
|
I told my boss (and colleagues) almost as soon as I knew. That way if I felt headachey or green I knew it would all make sense. I went into my boss' office to tell her that I was pg and then said - I plan to take maternity leave and return but I'll get the dates of all that to you when I know. She just shush-shushed me at all that and congratulated me. -------------  |
Posted By: CuriousG
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 1:47pm
|
I think its going to become quite obvious for me quite soon plus I want to get in and book my maternity leave asap as there is the threat we may be made redundant. The thing with this is that they are looking to outsource us to one of our vendors and were making noises about us getting jobs there. I would rather have the $$ and get the pay out than join the likes of 'them' (I HATE our vendors)!
So to answer your question, probably in the next couple of weeks. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: busybee
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 1:52pm
| thanks guys..I am still dreading it. I wish I still worked for my previous team leader, he would have been so cool about it. Maybe I should approach him and ask him how to manage the current one. I wanted all my friends and family to know and cant wait for them to see a bump but I am dreading the work thing, I am so nervous. What if they don't want me to work half week/day when I am done with maternity leave? |
Posted By: M2K
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 1:59pm
|
I told mine bout 8 weeks, cos of previous troubles, which I didnt know til 12 weeks and I had a week off for recovery. But this time round, I told him just in case I had troubles again, the response wasn't a very good one, (kind of along the lines of you are lucky we dont give you the boot cos of time off last time which upset me ALOT... but hey at the end of the day, its my life.
I understand also why you are worried about your choices after you have had baby, as I also wonder that myself, take it as it comes I guess. ------------- 
|
Posted By: littlestar
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 2:03pm
|
If you're not totally comfortable telling your boss right now - then its too soon.
I told mine at 8wks and he was great about it and we've been talking about reducing stress and workload. But I will not be telling the rest of the office until after the 12wk scan, while they all know about the MC I really don't to be going through all that again. If you're getting really bad MS its handy for your boss to know so they know why you've been disappearing from the office. But most people wait for the 12 wk mark, believe me it is easier than people asking how your bub is if you've MCd. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 2:04pm
|
If you have no reason to tell them earlier - i would wait til after the 12wk scan so you know everything is OK with bub and the chances of mc are lower.
I told my work both times the day after the scan, and they were great about it both times. ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: CuriousG
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 2:12pm
OMG! They so can't do that!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|
JoleneandJustin wrote:Posted By: kriss
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 3:38pm
|
My boss was very nonchalant when I told her, I don't think she really cared as long as I showed up every day..
Good luck telling your boss Yo, fingers crossed for a positive reaction 
And congratulations  ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
Little Angel, April 10
|
Posted By: bluebird
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 7:16pm
|
I never really told my boss. When I was 22 weeks and still no one had noticed, I let it slip in a conversation with my boss' boss and the other women I work with. They were really good, shocked that I was so far along and naturally the gossip went straight to my boss in the morning.
The first I mentioned it to him was about organising leave and he was really good about it all. Prob not the best way to go about it, but oh well. ------------- DD1 10/10/04 DD2 10/06/09 |
Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 09 March 2009 at 8:24pm
I told my boss at 10 weeks , which was 4 weeks after I started the job lol! 
His only concern was that I'd be moving back to Ireland to have them. I'm glad I told him then as it eased the shock when I came in after the 12week scan and told him it was twins 
He was great about it all too. I had to finish work at 28 weeks and only just made my 6 month anniversary to be entitled for maternity leave. At that I took an extra 4 months unpaid leave before going back part time. |
Posted By: M2K
Date Posted: 10 March 2009 at 9:04am
|
Good luck with your decision!
Let us know how you get on :) most places are good about it, not much they can do bout it now hehe  -------------
|
Posted By: Helen1
Date Posted: 10 March 2009 at 12:22pm
|
I told my boss at 20 weeks. We decided this time around to wait to tell anyone until we were sure that bubs was as okay as she could be. The last pregnancy I had we m/c at 16 weeks so I don't consider anytime to be a "safe" time.
Boss was shocked but good about it. If you are worried I would wait to tell your family and friends first (as you will have their support) and then tell your boss. I'm sure they will be great . As for working half days or weeks after the maternity leave is finished this is exactly what I did and I didn't want to work full time anymore. They can't make do do this as they have to keep your job or a similar one open but you can request it if this is what you decide that you want to do. Mind you they don't have to accommodate you on the part time work. Generally I have found that if you talk about things with them and are up front about it all then they will try to work things out with you. Remember you have a long way to go yet and a lot of things can change including your expectations of what motherhood is like. Good luck and enjoy your pregnancy and baby. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
|
Posted By: anon
Date Posted: 11 March 2009 at 11:14pm
|
I have just accepted the offer of a part-time job earlier today (we really need the money since I got made redundant from my fulltime job a few weeks ago and my husband is a fulltime student). And this evening I discovered I am pregnant!!! Very exciting and think I am about 8 weeks... but not sure when to tell them, and when I do tell them whether they will be angry that I accepted the job? By law they can't fire me can they since I will be taking maternity leave further down the track??
P.S. I intend to tell them after 12 weeks but they are doctors and if I have morning-sickness may figure it out! Any suggestions? P.P.S. How soon can you take maternity leave prior to the baby's due date? |
Posted By: Helen1
Date Posted: 12 March 2009 at 12:04pm
|
Hey good luck.
I would say if they ask you straight out then you should say something or if you need a couple of days off due to sickness. Otherwise you just have the odd bug which gives you a 24 hour illness. You need to be working for a company for the six months prior to the baby's due date. Go to the Department of Labour website because there are specific rules about working part time. I'm sure that it has to be 10 hours per week for the same employer or xx number of hours a month. Sorry can't quite remember. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
http://lilypie.com">
|