New job & pregnant , when to tell?

My friend has been in her new job for almost 2 months now, she's just found out that she's about 6 weeks pregnant. She doesn't know if she should tell her manager now or after the 3 months probabtion period. She knows she should be honest but is dreading telling her boss, especially as she's so anti babies. She's also worried that if she tells her the news before the 3 months is up then she will lose the job, her manager thinking up some reason why she can't continue employment.
Is it ok for her to wait until the job is permernant in a months time to tell or will she get into trouble for not being upfront?
Whats the best advice for me to give her?
Thanks x

She works in boots as a consultant, make-up & skincare, we met at college on a beauty therapy course. This is the first job she's been able to get in 2 years so desperately wants to keep hold of it.

You don't have to tell anyone until you give your application for maternity leave, she is well within her rights not to say anything until after her probation.

However, it depends on how her pregnancy goes. I was crippled with morning sickness in the early part of my pregnancy and had to take a lot of time off sick so I wouldn't have been able to conceal it.

Even if she is on a probationary period, BY UK LAW, a woman CANNOT be sacked disciplined or penalised for any reason related to pregnancy. Even if someone had to take a lot of time off for morning sickness or another pregnancy related condition, they cannot be sacked disciplined or penalised for it. Its law.

So although she will not "get into trouble" for not being upfront about her pregnancy, by the same token she cannot get into any trouble or risk losing her job for telling them about her pregnancy. The law is very protective of women who are pregnant in the workplace and she will find its very much on her side.

I would say tell her as soon as possible. If she waits the manager will be more angry and if she is fired then she will have a harder time finding a new job.
She should just be upfront and tell her she just found out. If she loses her job she at least has time to find a new one.

well technically she doesnt need to tell anything till she has her first scan..god forbid, something could go wrong in these early stages. i would wait till first scan then tell them and say she only found out a little while ago. good luck to her and congratulations!!

if she's planning on staying, I'd wait till after and tell them she just found out; stranger things have happened.

No guarantee; but increases her chances once she gets past her porbation; and she may get canned anyway, in which case, it didn't matter

no job is "permanent".

what do you mean she is anti-baby?

that is such weird syntax I just have to sit up and take notice!

If she is really not cut out to be a mom, then she can certainly terminate the pregnancy!

Or do you mean the boss is anti-baby?

If the latter, probably lots of others have simply dropped out of the workforce on her before.

The company is investing time and money in training her, and forgoing hiring someone else. If your friend has no intention of staying, or her availability during and post-pregnancy is going to be less then she has led the company to believe (even if that was her intent at the time but may have changed since), she should really ask herself deep in her heart if she is taking money from the company while misleading them about what she is able and willing to provide in return in the long run.

I don't know the answer to that, but she can figure it out, and the answer to what to tell the company and when depends on your friend's honesty with herself, or possibly her willingness to lie about the truth.

Who's your friend? Natasha Kaplinsky !!!

The UK government's advice, given below, is to tell your employer fiteen weeks before the week your baby is due

Also your friend's boss will be so scared that if they fail your friend's probation she will cite the fact that she was sacked for being pregnant I doubt they will do anything.


Telling your employer that you want to take maternity leave
Tell your employer at least 15 weeks before the beginning of the week your baby's due. If this isn't possible (eg because you didn't realise you were pregnant), tell them as soon as possible. You need to say:

you're pregnant
when the baby's due
when you want to start your maternity leave (you can change the date later, if you give 28 days' notice)
Your employer might ask for notice in writing. They may also ask for a copy of Form MAT B1, which your doctor or midwife will give you. This says when the baby's due.

Once you've told your employer that you want to take maternity leave, they should write to you within 28 days, telling you the date when your leave will end.
Taking your maternity leaveWhen you can start your leave
You can start your leave any time from 11 weeks before the beginning of the week when your baby's due. If you're off work because of your pregnancy in the four weeks before the expected birth date, your employer can make you start your maternity leave.
Do you have to take all of your leave?
You needn't take all of your maternity leave, but you must take two weeks (or four weeks if you work in a factory) of 'compulsory maternity leave' after your baby's born.
What happens if you lose your baby?
Provided you meet all the other conditions, you can still take maternity leave if your child is:

stillborn after 24 weeks of pregnancy
born alive at any point of the pregnancy
If you're treated unfairly
If you're treated less favourably because of your pregnancy or for taking maternity leave, it may amount to unlawful sex discrimination.

Sex discrimination - read more (employment section) Redundancy and maternity leave
If your employer makes people redundant, they can't use pregnancy as a reason to select you for redundancy over similar employees. If you are being made redundant during your maternity leave you must be offered a suitable alternative job if there is one.

were she work

Tell her to wait. If she doesn't her boss will find a reason to fire her, that of course has nothing to do with her pregnancy. When she does reveal it to her boss tell her to say that she just now confirmed her pregnancy because she has irregular periods. It may not be honest, but being honest doesn't pay the bills in this economy.

Usually after the first trimester.

directgov.com

she only needs to give fifteen weeks notice, so at the 25th week of pregnancy.