Telling the Boss You’re Pregnant
In Leslie Morgan Steiner’s blog On Balance for the Washington Post, she shares her experience of telling her boss she was pregnant — twice. I have a friend who is newly pregnant and who will be facing this conversation one day soon.
At this point in my life, I would dread having to tell my boss almost as I much as I would dread having to tell my husband, or oh! my 17-year-old son. Not because I think my boss would make it difficult; because I know rearranging would have to be done, and they’ve already accomodated me so much already, working at home and traveling back to St. Louis so often. (And NO, this is not about me as I am TOTALLY not pregnant.)\disclaimer.
While maternity leave and conditions for pregnant or working mothers have certainly improved over the years, there’s still that uncertainty moms face in sharing their news.
My first boss worked in the retail industry the first time she got pregnant. The company she worked for was so male-driven and cutthroat she hid her pregnancy well into the second trimester. I think it took some of the celebration out of being pregnant for her, and certainly added to the stress of her already overwhelming job.
What kind of experiences have you had revealing your need to be off for six weeks or longer and if you’re a first-timer, the fact that you will soon be a completely different person than the one they hired in the first place?
July 16th, 2007 at 10:57 am
The first time I was pregnant, I knew my boss and coworkers would be totally supportive because everyone else had three or more children themselves. The harder part was telling them I wouldn’t be coming back, but I think they knew that already.
The second time I was pregnant, my “boss” was a one-year-old and she really didn’t get it until her sister was already here, by which point, she was an upset two-year-old.