New Job and Pregnant

[mindlor]

Let me preface this by saying that I am a guy.

I have seen many threads on here where people ask..."I know I am pregnant, should I disclose this to a new employer prior to being hired."

The answer is always, no way, there is nothing they can do. It is illegal for them do discriminate.

And it is, you are absolutely correct.

However I feel it is certainly not the moral thing to do and bordering on being fraudulent.

Employers spend a lot of money orienting and precepting new employees. If I were in HR and someone pulled a fast one like this on me, my hands would be tied certainly, but I would never forget it and it would surely matter on down the road.

The potential not knowng they are pregnant is a whole different thing altogether.

I know this may be controversial but I am curious as to what the female perspective is.

[delilas]

Simply, I just wouldn't want my family status to keep me from a job I truly want.

I hate this attitude some people have where having a baby is bad for the company. Maybe I got spoiled when I lived in Sweden; up to a year of paid maternity leave for mother and father. They don't treat you like having a baby is a crime against their bottom line.

There are plenty of places that wouldn't hire you if you openly admitted anything that is illegal to discriminate for; disclosing that you are a satanist who was once a meth addict sure isn't going to win you any jobs, but it's not fraudulent or even 'bordering on fraudulent' to keep it to yourself.

[cb_rn]

I worked until the Friday before I delivered and was only off because it was my weekend to be off. Had to call in for Tuesday because went into labor on Monday morning though

Maybe I needed a little extra help pulling someone up in bed and maybe I needed a little extra time to waddle down the hall those last few months but I held my own.

Exposure to pathogens would be more of a concern in the beginning of pregnancy as that is when the fetus is most susceptible to teratogens, during development, not so much during growth. As a matter of fact, a great deal of the critical period would usually have passed before a woman knew she was pregnant but we don't tell women of child bearing age that could be pregnant not to be nurses due to pathogen exposure, do we? No, we all practice common sense, universal precautions, and wear protective equipment.

[Bobbkat]

There are plenty of places that wouldn't hire you if you openly admitted anything that is illegal to discriminate for; disclosing that you are a satanist who was once a meth addict sure isn't going to win you any jobs, but it's not fraudulent or even 'bordering on fraudulent' to keep it to yourself.

Heaven forbid you're a pregnant satanist recovering from meth addiction. Triple strike.

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I read this post, started fuming, but then decided that arguing with the OP's position was a waste of my time. But that.....I just couldn't resist.

OP, Lord knows you are entitled to your opinion. As long as you aren't my hiring manager and the laws stay as they are, it doesn't affect my life at all. I guess that's all I really have to say about that.

[NickiLaughs, ADN, BSN, RN]

In an ideal world pregnant women would not be discriminated against.

Would someone with leukemia in remission, or some other type of disease, chronic or acute mention this?

I think not, because this information would then be used (regardless of if it's legal or not) to determine hiring eligibility. ADA is supposed to protect us, but it doesn't.

Ultimately, a medical condition may or may not affect work ability, but regardless, anyone in theory could come up with a medical condition at any time. We can't really judge whether or not someone can do a job based on the possible future. Things change constantly. Our world is dynamic.

[mindlor]

Yo I am not here to preach or argue. Everyone is entitled to their opinins and mine are no better than the next persons. I was just curious as to what your opinions were thats all.

[78taylor99]

In what circumstances would you consider non-disclosure to be fraudulent? If the woman plans to leave the position upon giving birth? Or simply because she requires maternity leave?

In the case of her quitting the position, I do not see it any differently than any other person who accepts a job knowing he or she will not stay there long. Despite what may occur in the future, people have to work to support themselves and their families. If you were to have a problem with granting her maternity leave, I would find that to be discriminatory. Depending on particular factors, this is a legal right provided to women and for good reason. It should not be the basis for resentment or discriminatory remarks, even if there was no prior disclosure.

[mindlor]

I would have a problem with any employee taking a job with the knowledge that they were going to unavailable for an extended period of time in the very near future. Pregnant, needing surgery, already had a round the world cruise booked prior to being hired.....

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Previous poster brings up a good point.

At what time in a pregnancy is it no longer safe to work as a hospital bedside RN? Turning patients, exposure to pathogens, etc etc.

Also previous poster sees no issue with taking a job whilst knowingly pregnant. Thats cool and is an individual choice. But to answer your question, you are taking a job, one where you know you will be counted on when you KNOW that in the very near future you will be unavailable for an extended period of time........

I wouldn't consider 8-9 months the very near future, if you are talking about someone just pregnant. You aren't leaving for good either, well some might not be, a lot of times people that need to work while pregnant still need to work after. (not all the time). People take vacations, they have surgeries, they have deaths in the family, and they have other life things that might have them gone for a few weeks or a couple months.

I have seen plenty of obese women that can be bigger than a pregnant person that manage to do bedside nursing and turn patients.

Most situations are perfectly safe for a pregnant woman as long as is following universal precautions that EVERYONE is supposed to use.

Sure she shouldn't apply for an Oncology Unit, and there will be a FEW illnesses she will need to watch for that can be harmful for the baby.

I mean to use that theory, than no one should be working in the hospital where there are pathogens, they might get sick and then not able to work when they were expected to be counted on.

Bottom line is this, there are PRN nurses for a reason, Float Nurses for a reason, I am sure any pregnant woman when getting close to her last few months will be letting someone know her plans, her due date so they aren't just left in a bind. This is when they can hire temporary nurses to be on the unit to cover for this worker like they do for every other situation that happens. Unlike an illness, this can be prepared for, (in most circumstances).

I have never started any job where I was told I would never be allowed to have any time off during the duration of my employment.

I have seen nurses work up until their due date.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

I would have a problem with any employee taking a job with the knowledge that they were going to unavailable for an extended period of time in the very near future. Pregnant, needing surgery, already had a round the world cruise booked prior to being hired.....

There is plenty of time to plan for maternity leave. Schedules usually come out a few weeks in advance. A mom will know her due date before that. There is a chance something can happen before the time around a due date, but their is a chance something can happen to any employee that isn't planned. It's called life. The great thing about a lot of hospital positions is they hire staff that are on call for this very reason that are already working there.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

Yo I am not here to preach or argue. Everyone is entitled to their opinins and mine are no better than the next persons. I was just curious as to what your opinions were thats all.

Ummmmm aren't people giving their opinions? I don't see arguing, I see people giving their opinions on the question asked.

[78taylor99]

I can understand it from the employer's side, believe me I do, but can you understand it from the side of the person who needs a job? I've been in this situation before, and I did feel the obligation to provide disclosure. I did, and guess what? I didn't get any of the jobs for which I applied.

Women aren't required to provide this information, because it WILL most likely be used against them. Employers are legally limited in the questions they may ask of prospective employees, and I don't believe information needs to be volunteered that contradicts these limitations.

[fungez]

"I would have a problem with any employee taking a job with the knowledge that they were going to unavailable for an extended period of time in the very near future. Pregnant, needing surgery, already had a round the world cruise booked prior to being hired....."

Okay, fair enough. Conversely, what do you think the employer owes its employees? A paycheck only? Benefits, a pension? A lifetime job, even if a better qualified applicant comes along?