While pregnancy certainly brings with it a lot of joy, it also places new responsibilities on the pregnant mother’s shoulders, especially in regards to informing friends, family, employers and colleagues about the pregnancy. Making the announcement only when it is absolutely necessary to do so is a good idea. Knowing when the best time to make the announcement is will depend on factors such as existing medical conditions and potential hazards at the workplace as well as personal coverage plans.


Breaking the News

Before long, an employee’s pregnant condition will become apparent though an existing medical condition may force her into making the announcement of her pregnancy at an earlier time. Before making the announcement, it is important to first confer with a doctor and discuss things such as hazards at the workplace as well as other possible risk factors at work. By getting in touch with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission as well as with state civil rights commission, it is possible for a pregnant employee to learn about her rights including how to file a complaint should the need to do so arise.


Medical Policies & Maternity Leave

Pregnant employees will do well to check their company’s short-term disability as well as medical policies to see whether any references have been made in the policies that treat pregnancy as anything but a short term disability. They should also find out about what kind of special maternity leave policies are being enforced by the company. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was passed into law in 1993 and has been put in place to provide pregnant employees the right to take leave based on medical issues; this includes maternity leave. Those applicable should have been with the company for a minimum of 12 months and have completed at least of 1250 hours work with the company to be eligible.


Employer’s Attitudes Towards Pregnant Women

The most serious problem that pregnant working women encounter at the workplace is that of being treated as fragile employees that always require protection. Some employers may treat pregnant women as being incompetent; however current standards and laws widely prevent this from happening. In any case, depending on the working environment, most employers are at ease with pregnancy as it is a regular occurrence.


Job Interviews and Pregnancy

Job interviews can be challenging enough by themselves, but for pregnant women, these can prove to be especially taxing and stressful. It is useful to check up on your rights in regards to being pregnant; one such right is that it is illegal for a potential employer to ask about the pregnancy during an interview. In addition, the interviewee is not allowed to ask questions in regards to any future plans as they may be directly associated with the pregnancy.

The bottom line is that pregnant women enjoy equal rights at the workplace. However, if they feel discriminated against; then they should seek relief under the Americans with Disabilities Act.