Pregnancy and a new Job

GLC

I wanted to get the opinion of some few. A good friend of mine went for a job interview in another state and got the job. It is a very high profile job as Executive Director. She is 3 months pregnant but did not disclose to in the interview. Do you think people should? Would you as a hiring manager be offended if someone did not? She is now planning to disclose the information to the Board President this week. She was fearful of being discriminated against. Isn't it true that legally she does not have to disclose it in an interview?

lorrie

Do you want a legal response, or a moral response?

I am not aware of any legal reason to disclose her pregnancy.

But I would personally not want to start off a work relationship on such a note of deceit. Legal issues aside, pregnancy will bring on certain issues and I would prefer to be up front with a potential employer. Some positions will be able to handle this ok, but it could create a hardship in other jobs.

I realize however that not everyone can afford such honesty. If I were a single mother and needed a job to put food on the table, then I would use the law on my side as well.

Leslie

I'd disclose, simply because she may want some info on the benefits of the company that may or may not apply.

The only leave my company has is FMLA. Therefore, a new hire three months pregnant would not qualify. We would term, they'd be stuck on COBRA without a job.

Zanne

This is a touchy subject.

I was in this person's shoes at one time. I was at a small hospital that merged into a larger one. They could have eliminated my position, but instead offered to let me interview for a corporate recruiting position. I needed the job, as my husband and I had a mortgage payment, as well as knowing that we were going to be be parents.

I went through the interview, got the job, and then called the director to advise him that I was pregnant. He was thrilled. (in a good way) One bad thing, was that I felt bad about having to have a temp come in while I was gone, so I let myself be talked into recruiting from home. It made my home time miserable, since everytime I got on the phone to an applicant, my son would cry. Or, I'd be so sleepy and have to make calls when all I wanted to do was lie down. To top it off, I wasn't paid "work time" for that recruitment from home, but vacation time.

I'm on the other end and we just hired a lender, who called me after two weeks work and let me know she's pregnant. When I talked to her branch manager, his philosophy was< "That's the price you pay for hiring bright young talent."