For pg working mamas...

[clynnr]

When did/are you going to tell your boss?

I'm 16.5 weeks, and I haven't said anything yet (which is getting difficult, since I'm mostly in maternity now). I definitely plan on quitting, but I'm not sure when. I might be able to watch my SIL's kids (will be 3 & 4.5) this fall when she and BIL go back to work (they're teachers), but I won't find that out for a week or two. If I do that, I'll be quitting at the end of August. If I don't, I'd like to work until October at least, and then maybe try to do something from home (my boss has a lot of employees doing that). I don't want to bring it up until I know what I'm going to do, KWIM?

Any advice or opinions? What are you doing? TIA!!

[indiegirl]

I'm one for telling early-that will give you time to perhaps work out a WFH job and/or give him/her an opportunity to find a good replacement for you if you decide to quit. If your working relationsship is good, why not tell him/her now? If it's bad, I can see waiting, though you won't be able to hide it much longer.

Jesse

[shelbean91]

I would tell them you're expecting, but let them know you're planning on returning to work (or whatever is best to say) until you're sure of what you're really going to do. After you know for sure, let them know as soon as you can.

[BabyOsMommy]

I had to tell them at 6weeks because I was really sick with a sinus/ear infection and was missing way too much time. Didn't affect much, and only my bosses knew for a while. I wouldn't have said anything that early due to a loss that I had before, but I wanted to protect my job, and pregnancy is protected against absenteeism. I told everyone 2weeks ago because I was tired of finding clothes that hid it, and just wanted to be comfortable, beside, it wasn't working and people were guessing anyways. I'm not sure if I'm going back, so I'm telling them I am to keep my options open.

[clynnr]

I wish I had a great relationship, but it is a VERY small company, and the owner is a little strange. The office I work at (there are two) has had an incredibly high turnover in the last six months (of the five full-timers, four have quit or been fired). He seems to have the mindset that employees are replaceable (sp?), and he doesn't really care--he'll just hire someone else. Of course, the fact that many people have quit tells you what kind of working environment it is!

It is written in the handbook that if you quit working for the company before you have worked there for 12 full months, you have to pay back all paid vacation time you've taken. That can't be legal! Luckily, the employee handbood wasn't in place when I was hired, so I can claim that it was not a condition of my employment. I hope. I was hired at the end of January (this year).

For what it's worth, since I haven't worked here for a full year, and since he doesn't employ enough people, my job doesn't have to be legally protected. So far I've only been sick one day (I claimed the flu) and as long as I don't have overtime, I can rearrange my schedule for doctor appointments ("dentist," or "eye", etc.), so that hasn't been a problem.

I'm really starting to feel a guilty about not telling, but I just don't know what his reaction will be. I do know that the second-in-command woman HATES employees with children. She told me so--in fact she went on a rant one day about how they are the worst employees, and if she had her way she wouldn't hire anyone that had kids.

Anyway, thanks for the responses. It helps to know what other people are doing.