When to tell them about pregnancy.

[Lacie1213]

Ok I am 22 weeks pregnant today. Am a new grad looking for my first job. I had an interview today and I think it went really well. I am set up to job shadow tomorrow and if all goes well hopefully I will get a job offer. My question is when do I tell them about the pregnancy?

[HouTx, BSN, MSN, EdD]

While it is illegal to ask a potential employee about their medical history or health issues, they can (and should) ask you to review a list of job "physical and functional" requirements and ask you whether you are able to perform all of them without any problems. Strictly speaking, you could answer in the affirmative right now, but advancing pregnancy will restrict some activities in the very near future.

So, it's up to you whether you feel that up front honesty is the best policy - IMO, it is more risky not to be up-front from the beginning because...... you have to be employed for at least 6 months in order to be eligible for FMLA. Without this protection, you may be terminated when you take maternity leave & be right back in the same job hunting situation afterward. In fact, that is a pretty likely scenario if your hiring manager feels like she/he was duped. However, if you are honest from the get-go, your manager may be willing to keep your job open until your return.