Telling Your Boss You’re Pregnant

For a Mom-to-be, telling your boss that your pregnant can seem a little daunting, especially when you’re unsure of the reaction that your news will be met with. To help ease into the conversation, we have 5 tips to help you through telling your boss the big news.

1. Do Some Homework

Research the different options that you have with paid vacation and family leave. Knowing exactly what you’re entitled to will help give you the extra confidence you may need to break the big news. When doing your research, look beyond what your company may or may not offer. There are state and federal laws regarding family leave and it is your company’s responsibly to ensure they follow these laws. For example, under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), companies that employ 50 or more people are required to offer 12 weeks of unpaid leave to employees who have been with the company for at least one year.

2. Create Your Plan

Typically, the more helpful you can be for your boss, the more likely your news will be well received. Know that your plans can change due to the progression of your pregnancy but help create a plan for who will replace you at work while on leave, when you expect set your appointment times, and how you will handle being out of the office from time to time. Be prepared to show your boss that you do not want your pregnancy to interfere with your work by having a flexible plan.

By knowing what time off you’re entitled to, you can begin to create the plan for how much time you’ll take off at the end of your pregnancy for the birth of your baby. While you may be entitled to 12 weeks off of work, it is often the case that families cannot afford this much time. If that applies to you, be sure to crunch the numbers of your budget to maximize your time home to recover and be with your baby. Perhaps you’ll find that that you can squeeze in some extra savings between now and the start of your leave, maybe you can save up your vacation days, or use up your sick days.

When it comes time to talking with your boss about this plan, ensure that you remain flexible and let your boss feel as though they have a part in your plan. No one, especially your boss, wants to have a plan dictated to them.

3. Select a Date

Besides your baby’s birth date, there are two more important dates to select: the day you’ll tell your boss and the day your leave will begin.

It’s the law that you’re not required to tell your boss anymore than 30 days prior to your leave but you won’t be fooling anyone by coming into the office with your big belly and not spreading the news. Commonly Moms-to-be will wait until the end of the first trimester to break the news but your work and/or pregnancy may have special circumstances in which you may want to say something earlier:

Hazardous jobs that may be a risk to you or your baby’s health.
Strenuous jobs that require a lot of lifting or climbing.
Frequent morning sickness that may result in arriving late to work.
Beginning to show earlier than expected.

Be sure to take these circumstances into account when planning when to tell your boss the news.

To select the day you will begin your leave, consider the following:

Advice from your doctor during routine prenatal checkups.
Possible complications in your pregnancy.
If you will need to train a replacement at work.
How much time you can afford to take off.

Remember, you don’t have to target the day you’ll begin leave specifically but having a rough idea of when you anticipate leaving work will help your boss take the necessary steps they need to keep your position running smoothly while you’re away.

4. Setup an Appointment

Do not have a spur of the moment conversation with your boss but instead, ask them to set aside specific time for you to have a conversation. When your appointment time comes, be enthusiastic and don’t be afraid to start the conversation with “I have fantastic news!” It’ll be up to you to set the tone for your meeting and even if your boss isn’t as thrilled as you are, it’s okay.

During your conversation, don’t apologize for your upcoming absence from work. As women it’s common for us to make apologizes or excuses. You’re having a baby, missing work is perfectly acceptable and you should not apologize for this exciting time in your life.

5. Put It In Writing

A professional, polite, and brief follow up note with your boss is something you should certainly consider so that you have the conversation with your boss in writing.

“Thank you again for your time to have a conversation regarding my upcoming family leave in February. Should everything go according to plan, my last day at work will be around February 5th and I expect to return to work in mid-April.”

Choosing Not to Return

It’s been said that four out of ten women choose not to return to work. And it’s possible that instead of going through the above with your boss, you just want to announce “I’m pregnant, I quit.” Hold off though, you may need your baby to arrive and your bills in hand to know what is right for your family. You won’t want to burn any bridges since knowing what the future has to hold can be a little tough to know, especially so early in your pregnancy.

If you’re unsure of your return to work, hold off on telling your boss. You’ll want to be certain before you break this big news.