October 11, 2024, 2:23 pm | Read time: 5 minutes
Are you pregnant? How exciting! Have you told your employer yet? No? Are you nervous about it? There’s no reason to be. It’s good news that you’re sharing. Empathetic and professional employers will react positively to the news, knowing that the company needs to plan for such life stages. But there are a few little things you can do to make things a little more pleasant for you and your workplace.
When a pregnancy test shows a positive result, there is a lot of joy. The euphoria is underpinned when the gynecologist hands over a confirmation and perhaps even the first photo. Over time, usually after the 12th week, family and friends also receive the wonderful news. There are celebrations, surprises, and tears. The situation is different at work, however, where many women are tormented by the question: When is the right time to announce my pregnancy at work? When is it too early? When is it even too late? Will the boss be annoyed?
Overview
Joy and announcing the pregnancy at work
Rule number 1: Never have a guilty conscience! A guilty conscience towards your employer is understandable but completely unfounded. Yes, when the baby comes, you will be absent from work for quite some time. During pregnancy, you may miss a day or two of work due to nausea or headaches.
But a new life is growing inside you, which is perhaps the most beautiful reason to momentarily put work aside. When you are pregnant, a wonderful, intimate, and private chapter awaits you, and work takes second or even third place.
Out of respect for your employer, you still want to behave properly, not burn any bridges, and prepare everything so that you can look forward to coming back after your maternity leave.
An employer who cares about your well-being will receive the news with joy and, out of professionalism, will immediately understand and discuss the next steps with you.
Is there a right time to announce the pregnancy at work?
Most women often wait until the first trimester is over before breaking the news of a pregnancy to their employer (or anywhere else, for that matter). The reason for this reluctance is the risk of an early miscarriage in the first three months. However, there may also be other reasons for waiting to announce, especially in a professional environment. Sometimes, you are in the middle of a promotion or salary negotiation. Revealing the news, even though it’s positive, might not be timely in such situations.
After all, you are entitled to the promotion and the higher salary, and your pregnancy has nothing to do with it. However, some employers then backtrack. Although it would be against the law to change such a decision on the grounds of pregnancy, another reason could be used. And you may not be able to take legal action against this. To avoid this (and the stress surrounding it), it is better to wait a few days in such cases. Generally speaking, it is a relief to share the news for a variety of reasons. You can more easily explain your morning sickness after announcing your pregnancy at work. You avoid hurting your colleague’s feelings if you can’t stand the smell of the cake she brought in.
Very important: inform your boss first
Avoid the “mistake” of breaking the good news to your favorite colleagues first. Impatience sometimes wins out; you want to share it with the whole world. You spend so much time with your colleagues that you grow together and trust each other. However, as much as you trust them, this kind of thing quickly makes the rounds, even if not out of malicious intent. This could result in your boss learning about it from someone else or through office gossip before you have the chance to tell them yourself. This creates confusion. This would not only be unfair to you but could also leave a negative impression on the manager and catch them off guard. Your boss has a legitimate interest in hearing it from you first – then comes the team.
You don’t have to have one hundred percent answers to all questions
How long do you want to take a break? Do you want to return to the same position? What about this and that? When the news of a pregnancy makes the rounds at work, many people will suddenly approach you with lots of questions. You don’t have to have the right answer to every question. You can even say to your boss: I still need to think about this; I wanted to give you the news first. Then, you can consider the subsequent steps and details with a clear head and provide answers later on.
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What is the legal situation? When does the pregnancy have to be announced at work?
Did you know that, in theory, you are not obliged to inform your employer about your pregnancy at all? Section 15 of the Maternity Protection Act (MuSchG) states that the employer should be informed as soon as you are aware of the pregnancy, but it refers to a should rather than a must. This means that you can legally set the timing as it suits you. Of course, your good relationship with your employer will benefit from prompt notification, as the person responsible can then start planning for your absence. You also benefit from this: after notification, certain protective measures must be implemented to ensure your and your baby’s well-being.
There is an exception that requires the employer to be informed within a certain time frame: If the employer terminates you during this period, you must notify them of the pregnancy within 14 days for the special right of termination to apply.