When and how does everyone like to tell their boss their pregnant. I foundout fairly early but this is also my first pregnancy so I'm very nervous to tell my boss and how too! I was close to being at this workplace for a year but not quite. Any suggestions are welcome!
Re: When to tell your boss??
Many mamas wait until closer to the end of the first trimester, so before you go public on social media, but after you've had a chance to think about what kind of mat leave you're planning to take etc. There are no rules though! You do what feels right for you and your workplace vibes. Know that you have not done anything wrong by getting pregnant, so it's really just sharing exciting information that pertains to your work life.
I'll probably plan on the same thing this time around? I could wait longer though, since I'm remote now and everything is over Zoom. NO ONE HAS TO KNOW
@robbinsegg317 hello fellow science person! I'm a geneticist~ I used to work in the lab and am now a science writer
*TW*
@EmilyE13 how did it go with your boss today? I bet she is thrilled for you!
Married 10/28/17
Our TTC Journey
Team Green turned Team Blue 10/15/18
TTC #2 January '21
BFP June '21
MMC/Blighted Ovum that led to D&C July '21
Jan '22 - started IF testing
BFP Jan '22
MMC/Blighted Ovum that led to D&C Feb '22
BFP May '22
(I know some people choose to continue stimulant meds throughout pregnancy - no judgement at all - but for me personally, the risks aren’t worth it)
I told my boss out of necessity about a month ago. He was my friend long before he became my boss, which is as of this year, so this was not how I wanted to tell him.
I’ve been sleeping through my prep (midday attached to lunch) to function through the afternoon. I was about to get asked to cover so I pulled him into the office, explained in an almost-crying panic why I can’t cover for people, and he was super supportive. I wish it hadn’t come to necessity and could have been me actually sharing the news, but that is how I told my boss.
It was a huge relief to tell the entire staff this week. They totally thought I’d had covid complications and that’s why I was so tired and having stayed home weekly for a while.
The one thing I'd recommend by the time you tell her is having a rough plan in place for what you'd want to do for a maternity leave (about how long, etc), and who might be able to take over your tasks while you are away, and which tasks can wait. You can also offer to take care of any training of your coworkers. Doing that is what will set you apart and give your boss that high degree of trust in you--assuming they are a decent boss and this is a place you'd like to stay at.
I get the standard 12 week leave but want mooooore.
I asked for a 4 day work week after I had DD and got it. I only do it outside of tax season. We only work 35 hours during this time so I work for 4 8-hour days and then use 3 hours of pto to take off on Fridays. I get 5 weeks of pto so I have plenty to do this and also take a vacation and time off around the holidays. I like my setup because if I do get crazy and have to work some on Fridays (from home), I don’t have to give up that pto, so I still feel like I’m getting something in return for working more than I’m supposed to. But something else might work better for your situation.
Just see it from their perspective and do your best to come up with a reasonable plan so they can survive the months off without you. If there are any other moms who have taken more leave at your institution, definitely ask them how it went as well.
If they really are resisting your proposal for some reason, you can come back at them with a counter offer-- maybe coming back at 12 weeks or shortly after, but slowly easing back into it (like 2 days a week for a couple weeks, then 3 days, etc) or working from home. Ask them specifically what their concern is, determine if it is legitimate, and try to fix it, if possible. If they're hardasses for no good reason then it might be an annoying place to work as a new mother anyway.
to tell my boss tomorrow with are one on one- she said it would be better to give notification before the high risk scheduling goes into effect so it’s less of a surprise.
For you- does your company offer “bonding time” if they do you could take it all at once to lengthen your maternity leave? I did that with my first and then took two weeks of PTO to take an additional 4 weeks