how to tell the boss

[sakoon]

this is my first pregnancy. how do i go about telling my boss? do i first do it verbally then give a letter stateing when i want to take maternity leave or vice versa?

also, i have heard from others who went up to tell the boss that they are pregnant that she was unsupportive, ie. did not have anything nice to say. So im a bit nervous. any tips on what to say if she is unsupportive. i am a teacher and understand that it may be difficult to get replacements but its my life and none of their business when i get pregnant, they should expect it anyway and deal with it.

thanks
Sakoon

[Muffy]

i just came straight out and told my boss "im pregnant" luckily he was really supportive,
then i said i also want to know how i go about applying for maternity leave etc......

good luck and congrats!!!!! xx

[Karina]

I work in an office and just sent my boss an quick email to ask him for a few minutes of his time so we could have a quick chat. We used the meeting room at work and I just pretty much said "I just wanted to let you know that I'm pregnant. "

Luckily, he was actually quite supportive about it and asked how many weeks pregnant, how I was feeling, and asked if I wanted to take maternity leave or if I was going to resign. I told him I was planning on taking maternity leave and then returning part time. I was 12-13 weeks pregnant when I told him. When I was about 20-24 weeks, I wrote a letter saying that I was pregnant and that I'm going to be taking maternity leave. Then 4 weeks before I started my leave I had to give notice of the exact dates which I planned to start and finish my leave and give them a letter from my midwife confirming my pregnancy. That was my requiremnts - yours culd be different.

Its not your fault if its going to be a pain for them to organise a replacement. I think, just tell them the truth and be honest. Just say your pregnant. You will propbably need to give a letter or fill in a form at some point when you need to apply for maternity leave though.

Hope your boss is nice to you

[SamiH]

My boss was kinda relieved cos I had been walking around for 6 weeks looking like crapola and feeling sick etc.

Legally you don't need to say anything until 30 weeks - but yes, have a chat and let them know - most people are happy for you - or feign it anyway

Good luck~!

[~Kaz~]

Hi Sakoon,

I think you should check the policy that applies to your workplace before telling your boss. Are you in the public school system? If you are it would be covered under the relevant state public sector management act and your education department would have a pregnancy or maternity policy. Even private schools should have a policy about this. This will tell you both your rights and obligations. For example, I do not have to inform my manager until I am 30 weeks (although hats off to anyone who can hide it that long! ). I also don't have to inform my manager of my maternity leave plans until 4 weeks prior to my intended first day of leave and I have the right to confidentiality. I do have to alert the manager of any health or safety issues raised by my obstetrician and/or pregnancy as it progresses that might apply to my workplace and I do have to undergo regular risk assessment reviews. Every workplace will be different. I would go into the meeting forewarned with the information.

Not sure if you meant that your specific boss has been unsupportive with other colleagues in the past or just that they might be? I'm going to assume the former and suggest that maybe if you go into the meeting without any expectation of gaining support and view it as purely an information exchange between the two of you it might help. As long as the boss is not openly unsupportive I don't think there's much you can do. Bosses and managers are not obliged to say nice things - just because you are over the moon doesn't mean they will be (of course it's nice when it happens but I think expecting it might be setting yourself up for disappointment.....).

Anyway, hope that helped. Good luck

[sakoon]

thanks for all your helpful replies. I am in a private school, will look up their policy.