I’m 23 weeks pregnant and I haven’t told my workplace yet… am I wrong?

As many women are well aware, the landscape of working mothers has changed drastically in the last decade.

Side hustles, content creation and flexible working have become the norm as modern women attempt to navigate a landscape that quite frankly, traditionally doesn’t support mothers returning to the workplace.

As much as COVID took from us, the one thing it also delivered was a roadmap for successful hybrid working. Most roles now incorporate in-office and work from home days, as we attempt to find a balance between work and life, but even still - postpartum mothers are often left with few options.

During my two pregnancies, I diligently approached my boss at the 12-13 week mark, so that they could make the appropriate arrangements. It never occurred to me to wait for any reason, so when a friend of mine who is well and truly in her second trimester revealed that she hadn’t told her boss of her pregnancy, I was flabbergasted!

She is 23 weeks pregnant and this is her pregnancy secrets dilemma at work. Over half way through her pregnancy - and is still effectively hiding her pregnancy from her colleagues and boss. I’ll admit, at first, this seemed a little deceptive, like her boss was going to be left with far less time to be able to organise a replacement for her than necessary, but soon after I checked myself and realised she more than likely had a very good reason for withholding the good news from those she works with. Turns out, when I asked her to share, she did have a great reason - and to be honest it feels like another hurdle that mums - or parents - in the workplace need to jump. Here’s how she explained it to me:

“Ok so I haven’t told work due to my contract issues.

I am currently performing a temporary role, and have been waiting for a few specific permanent positions to be advertised which have taken months to be advertised.

I know that legally you can’t discriminate and not give me the job because I’m pregnant, however I can understand from a business perspective that they may be more inclined to hire someone who won’t be taking a big chunk of leave soon. I didn’t want it to be even considered during recruitment as it should be about capability of performing the role not other factors.

And this also impacts me financially. If I do not secure one of these permanent positions, I will be on maternity leave on a lower wage, which is a big impact on family life, finances, stress and how long I take for maternity leave.”

What she said makes so much sense. She already has a child, and therefore a family to provide for, alongside her partner. During my two pregnancies, I was working contract roles, so didn’t receive any paid parental leave from my employer. My circumstances were so different to hers, and I never stopped to consider the particulars when it comes to job security and pregnancy for mothers.

What do you think? Would you wait until over half way through your pregnancy to tell your boss?

By Olivia Mackinnon