Pregnancy is the most magical event in a woman’s life. After the storm of emotions calms down somewhat, the question arises in my head about when to talk about pregnancy at work and how the team will relate to such news. Indeed, despite the fact that pregnancy is a purely personal affair of a woman, this worries not only her, but also the employer. After all, an employee in a position means frequent asking, sick leave, and, of course, in the end - maternity leave. We will talk about when to talk about pregnancy at work and how to do it right in the article below.
May jinx
The first three months of pregnancy are thought to be very risky in terms of accidental abortion. It is up to a period of 12 weeks that miscarriages and missed pregnancies most often occur, therefore, it has long been believed that before this time a woman should not spread her position and should carefully hide from others.
As for the office environment, gossip, annoying questions and sidelong glances can begin in the same way here. And this in turn is stress for you. Therefore, many women believe that they are not obliged to inform their superiors and colleagues to the very end. This attitude is not correct, first of all, because the employer has the right to find out in advance about the upcoming maternity leave and think about your replacement. One day you will still have to talk about pregnancy at work anyway, so don't postpone it too late.
How long is it worth telling
So, as we wrote above, the first 12 weeks a woman in a position is very vulnerable, so if the pregnancy is proceeding well, there is no point in telling anyone anything, especially since the stomach is still invisible. Another thing is when a woman is tormented by severe toxicosis with gusts of vomiting, it is simply impossible to miss this state of her colleague. Here, in any case, you will have to talk about your condition and maybe even ask for a doctor.
When is the law reporting pregnancy to an employer ? The Labor Code does not have clear guidelines on this. Therefore, a woman should choose the time for notification at her discretion. It is advisable to do this after registration for pregnancy.
When to register with an LCD working woman
As a rule, for a pregnant woman, the most optimal period for registration is considered to be 7-8 weeks. But it is not convenient for all working women to constantly ask for leave from work and stand in queues of the clinic. Moreover, if there is a desire to hide their condition for the time being. In this case, you can take a vacation at your own expense and pass all the experts safely.
If you can’t take a vacation, and frequent absences only annoy the employer, you will have to tell him about your situation earlier than you planned, because registration for pregnancy should be no later than 12 weeks.
The boss is also a man
When you still have to talk about pregnancy at work, tune in a positive way and in no case be nervous. Keep in mind that bosses are different, and even a person you are familiar with can perceive information differently depending on your mood. Therefore, before you knock, once again specify in what spirit he is.
An important role is played by the gender of the employer. With men you need to speak confidently, briefly and in fact. You can provide him with your logical arguments and ways to resolve conflict situations. You can talk with a woman more emotionally, share your feelings. And remember, in any case, the boss is the same person as you, maybe he will even rejoice at your happiness and offer easier work.
How to prepare for a serious conversation
So, you have chosen the right moment and decided to talk about everything with the employer. What should be done:
Before the crucial meeting, make a conversation plan. It is not necessary to write everything on paper, but if it is more convenient for you (given the girl’s memory and the emotional background of the pregnant woman), you can make notes on a piece of paper.
Examine your employment rights and responsibilities in advance. In the event of disagreements or disputes with your boss, you must understand exactly what you can give up and what rightfully belongs to you.
Depending on the communication style between the subordinates and the management, inform the boss in advance that you would like to talk to him. This can be done using an e-mail, through a secretary, or go in person and ask for 10-20 minutes of free time.
It would be nice to take care of the candidate in your place in advance. You can even suggest that your boss train him before you leave. Thus, you will greatly facilitate the work of the boss, for which you will be grateful.
After completing the dialogue, ask that all arrangements be sent in writing.
Of course, this is just a rough plan. It all depends on the specific conditions and your relationship with the employer.
What a pregnant woman can count on in the workplace
Perhaps your work has a very friendly atmosphere, the kindest boss and, accordingly, the whole team will be only happy to know that you are in a position. But if it’s still a utopia and you are worried about negativity, you should know that the official registration of a woman in the workplace guarantees full protection throughout the pregnancy and the entire postpartum period.
Labor rights of pregnant women:
the rights of pregnant women include, first of all, the loyal attitude of the entire staff;
the manager has no right to dismiss a pregnant woman;
night shifts, overtime schedules and business trips are excluded for the entire period of pregnancy;
the employer does not have the right to deny a woman the right to accept a job only because of pregnancy.
In addition to the above, if during pregnancy a woman needs to undergo a medical examination in the hospital, despite her absence, working time is counted and paid according to the standards. In addition, the employer must transfer the woman to easier work.
Who pays maternity leave: legal subtleties
According to the law of the Russian Federation, every pregnant woman who has officially got a job has the right to maternity leave. Do not confuse maternity leave with parental leave. The duration of this rest period is 140 calendar days (70 before childbirth and 70 after), in cases when the pregnancy is multiple, the duration of the leave increases to 194 days (84 days before childbirth and 110 days after), with complicated births, postpartum leave cannot be less than 86 days.
When to bring a pregnancy certificate to work? It doesn’t matter when exactly you notified your superiors about pregnancy, since the required leave is granted for a period of 30 weeks, it would be more correct to provide the appropriate certificate and a personal statement obviously before the expected date.
So who pays maternity leave? All benefits and payments to pregnant and newly born women are paid not by the employer, but by the Social Insurance Fund (FSS).
Financial aspects
The size of the maternity leave allowance directly depends on the salary of a working woman. The average salary received for the last 2 years of work is taken into account. In the event that a woman has worked in various organizations over the past couple of years, all employers will pay benefits over this period of time.
With all of the above, annual paid leave is also granted during pregnancy. A woman can use it both before maternity leave and after.
After the end of maternity leave, a woman has the right to parental leave. The allowance for a child up to one and a half years old will be charged at the rate of "the average salary of a woman multiplied by 40%."
There are cases when a woman, while on maternity leave, becomes pregnant again and, accordingly, receives the right to additional maternity leave. In this case, the woman will have to choose one of two benefits: maternity benefits or child benefits up to 1.5 years. Naturally. you need to choose more.
And finally, I want to note: a decree is a time that is impossible to catch up. Therefore, enjoy every day spent with your baby.