Pregnant Employee

Hi,

Quick question on when an employee tells her employer she is pregnant. Is there anything an employer needs to do or say to this employee to protect the employer or the employee. Example, any needed documentation, etc.?

Thank you,
Sandy "W"

Comments

  • 8 Comments sorted by Votes Date Added
  • Hi Sandy, and welcome to the forum!

    Is your company subject to FMLA laws? If so, I would begin by starting that process in accordance with your FML policies. If not, I would open dialogue with the employee, and talk about anticipated leave dates, what sort of leave your company provides, and whether any sort of accommodation will be needed.

    Good luck!
  • Thank you for your reply,

    I did start the FMLA process, unfortunately she does not qualify until the end of October. And yes I did inform her of that. From what you advised and what I have always practiced was what I did. When I informed my two managers their reply was "I should not have given her that information and put that into her head". They feel that she will only take advantage of this and take a lot of time off. Now, I have always practiced to not only protect the employer but to protect the employee of his or her rights under any of the laws. Yes, they are thinking like managers of a company but I need to convence them that I am thinking like an HR professional and I need to administer and do my job they way that I was taught. How can I convence them in a very nice way that I know what I am doing. P.S. They never had a direct HR person working for them.

    Thanks,
    Sandy "W"
  • Oh, the joys of working for someone who's never had HR under them. I do not envy you!

    Just mention Title VII, Pregnancy Discrimination Act, & FMLA....you are simply complying with them. I would also mention that the laws are designed so that employers do have remedies for employees who take advantage of the law, and that you are doing everything proactively, as to ensure that such liberties are not taken.
  • And be prepared with your rebuttal in mid-October when they tell you they want her fired.
  • Are you in a state that has a leave law? In Oregon the requirement to qualify is 6 mos of employment with an average of 25 hours a week.
  • You might also remind them that it is not necessarily taking advantage when you exercise your rights (I have seen managers who think it is). Remind them that if they were in her position they would appreciate the same benefits.

    Finally, I would tell them of a few cases where management behaved dumbly and how much it ended up costing the company. Managers should look at the whole picture and behave in the best interests of the organization, not just the project they're working on.

    Good luck!

    Nae
  • Exactly!!! What she said...........
  • You can find a number of articles from the Employment Law Letters that have been featured in HR Hero Line plus information on pregnancy discrimination and other resources at our hot topic page on pregnant employees at [url]http://www.hrhero.com/topics/pregnant_employees.html[/url]. If you are a subscriber to one of the Employment Law Letters, you've also got free access to our special report on FMLA, which includes a chapter on pregnancy, adoption, and the FMLA at [url]http://www.hrhero.com/special_reports/fmla0409.shtml?[/url]
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