Pre employment physical while pregnant?

[xaymi]

Hi, I was just recently offer a position as a CNA and I already took a drug test and they are currently doing the background check.. But tomorrow I have a pre-employment physical. My problem is that I didnt told them I was pregnant. I am 31 weeks pregnant but my belly is not that big... Since it has been snowing outside I wear a thick coat to all my interviews and I wore mostly black clothing and my belly wasn't noticeable and I guess they never notice I am pregnant because they never asked me. I know I can do the job and I am in great shape. Are they going to be able to tell that I am pregnant when I go to my physical tomorrow... are they going to check my abdomen? also I have two appts. One is with the clinic and then they have me schedule with physical therapy for another. What will I have to do with the physical therapist? Can they disqualify me from getting the job if the find out that I am pregnant? I didnt tell them I was because they never asked me. I really need this job. In my husband's job they are laying people off and we already have 1 child and another one on the way and still have things to buy for the baby on the way that is due in 1 month or 1 1/2 months from now. And I can't start working after the baby is born, it has to be now because it was passed almost 1 year from the time I receive my licensed and I cant afford to lose the license.

Thanks for any help

[sundayj]

I think you will be fine. I was also offered a position and am scheduled to have my physical next week. As far as i remember from my old RN job, they check if your vision is ok, if you can bend, lift you arms, regular ROM stuff. Once again, shouldn't be an issue for either of us ( I didn't tell them I was pregnant neither, why take the chance of discrimination when you really need a job and can do it?).

[Crux1024]

Just so you realize...once you leave to have the baby. They DO NOT have to hold your job for you since you dont fall under FMLA guidelines.

I dont see why you wouldnt share with them..youre going to be gone in the next 6-8 weeks. If theyre throwing you into the schedule and depending on your presence, itll be hard on your coworkers to have holes in the schedule that theyll have to fill last minute due to your absence.

I understand that you need the job, but if you want to KEEP the job, you may have to rethink your strategy.

I wish you the best.

[mamamerlee, LPN]

So let me understand this - - you may be working for about 6 weeks, then you are going to have a baby. How long do you expect to be off? You might not have a job to come back to - you may not even be able to finish your orientation.

As for the assessment by PT - they may have you bending, stooping, reaching, pushing/pulling large weights.

It's not a matter of what you haven't revealed, it's more about will you have a job post-partum. If they need to fill a spot NOW, they will not be happy, and they will fill the spot as soon as they can.

[DirtyBlackSocks]

What you're doing is very selfish. Better to be honest with the employer now and hope you get the job - you certainly aren't going to gain enough credibility in a 6 week period to retain your job.

Lying gets you nowhere.

It's a tough situation, since you'll have to re-certify if you don't get the job. But you're affecting a lot of other people with your actions.

[ukstudent]

The OP has not lied to anyone. They can not rescind the job because you are pregnant, that is discrimination. They can however rescind the job if you do not pass the physical. If you can lift the weight, bend and pull etc, then you should be fine.

I don't know how long you expect to be out after having the baby. Someone I went to nursing school with had a baby during spring break and was back in class and clinical's a week later.

[aura_of_laura]

Unfortunately, maternity leave (paid or not) is a luxury most working women in the States can't afford. OP, I think you're right to keep this hush hush until your employment is final - while they're not supposed to be able to discriminate based on pregnancy, employers do (sometimes it sucks to be a woman in the workforce). Take care of yourself and the baby - if you can't lift, don't lift - even if you won't qualify for FMLA, you should be able to get light duty in the event of complications. Best of luck to you!

[mamamerlee, LPN]

aura of Laura - - there is no light duty on the floors, especially if it is not a job-related occurence. And no one will treat her with any respect if she starts out that way. No self-respecting MD will allow her to return to work in a week or two. There will be a lot of physical activity for a CNA, and others won't want to carry her load. I do not know why she hasn't worked for the last year, but that makes for an interesting question, as well.

[aura_of_laura]

Every place I've worked has some type of light duty - there may be restrictions, but light duty can encompass anything from working as a sitter, to assisting with everything but heavy lifting. Almost anytime someone is out with an injury or heart attack, they come back with some sort of restriction. Perhaps the OP was not working due to having another young child... Sometimes financial circumstances require us to work, even when we know it's not really a best case scenario. Plus, life shouldn't have to stop because of pregnancy. Three months from now, it's not going to be an issue...

[xaymi]

Thanks to everyone that had replied. The only time off I am taking will be my hospital stay (3-4 days). I am hoping it would be on my days off so I don't have to call in and have a hole on the schedule.. Also I was working before but not as a CNA because I wasn't able to find a job quick enough and financial circumstances made me apply for a different job. but while I was working I was still applying as a CNA in hope to work for a hospital. When I got pregnant I told my manager right away that I was pregnant and they lay me that same day because it was a temp agency and they told me that I wasn't able to do the job even tho I knew i could. I was working for a toyota plant making sure the paint didnt have any defects. I dont think I am being selfish at all because If I dont sacrificed for my kids then that would be selfish. My kids need to eat and need things. Like aura_of_laura said maternity leave is a luxury. Not everyone can afford it...

thanks for all the help.:)

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

I have to say that, due to physical nature of a CNA's job, I doubt your employer will allow you to come back to work within less than a week of giving birth. I know, I know, women used to have babies while working in the field and never miss a bit.

However, in today's litigous society, an employer will not want to be accused of forcing you back to work and negatively affecting your health, and will want a signed physician's note if they have any inkling you have been out due to childbirth.

And I would look askance at a physician who would sign it. It might be different if you had a sit down, desk job and worked from home or very nearby. And going back to class is different from going back to a physical 8 or 12 hour shift, pulling, turning, lifting heavy patients who may not be able to bear any weight, and often in that setting, you will NOT have help from other aides but be doing it yourself, rules notwithstanding.

I know times are tough but you need to think of your health and your child's health. I have five kids and have had to go on food stamps and other assistance back in the day when my kids were very tiny. It certainly is an affront to your dignity, but keeping up your health is more important. I am now a grandmother and give the same advice to my kids.

Also, if you were laid off from Toyota, can't you get unemployement? My son has been on unemployment for nearly a year now. Its not a great amount of money, but that is something you can apply for online and get, and draw for a rather long time.

[xaymi]

I have to say that, due to physical nature of a CNA's job, I doubt your employer will allow you to come back to work within less than a week of giving birth. I know, I know, women used to have babies while working in the field and never miss a bit.

However, in today's litigous society, an employer will not want to be accused of forcing you back to work and negatively affecting your health, and will want a signed physician's note if they have any inkling you have been out due to childbirth.

And I would look askance at a physician who would sign it. It might be different if you had a sit down, desk job and worked from home or very nearby. And going back to class is different from going back to a physical 8 or 12 hour shift, pulling, turning, lifting heavy patients who may not be able to bear any weight, and often in that setting, you will NOT have help from other aides but be doing it yourself, rules notwithstanding.

I know times are tough but you need to think of your health and your child's health. I have five kids and have had to go on food stamps and other assistance back in the day when my kids were very tiny. It certainly is an affront to your dignity, but keeping up your health is more important. I am now a grandmother and give the same advice to my kids.

Also, if you were laid off from Toyota, can't you get unemployement? My son has been on unemployment for nearly a year now. Its not a great amount of money, but that is something you can apply for online and get, and draw for a rather long time.

Thanks for your help... i didnt qualify for unemployment. i needed two more weeks working there to be able to qualify. and with my husbands income, i dont qualify for federal assistance. we had applied and got denied. but even with his job we are still struggling at times and we only have 1 child... with almost two now it's going to be tough with only one of us working and him almost getting lay off. he can always get unemployment but it wont be enough to pay the bills...