It is advisable to tell your employer that you are pregnant as early as possible. This is because:
- you may need to take time off for ante natal care,
- you may need protection from health and safety risks, and
- you are only protected from unfavourable treatment because of your pregnancy once your employer knows or suspects you are pregnant.
It is advisable to tell your employer that you are pregnant as early as possible. This is because:
- you may need to take time off for ante natal care,
- you may need protection from health and safety risks, and
- you are only protected from unfavourable treatment because of your pregnancy once your employer knows or suspects you are pregnant.
If you have started a new job and do not pass your probation period, and are dismissed from your job for a reason related to your pregnancy this is likely to be pregnancy discrimination.
In most cases you will tell your manager first. If you would find it difficult to tell your manager, and there is a human resources team you should tell them. Ask if your employer has a maternity policy which explains what you need to do and when.
To take maternity leave, you must tell your employer by the 15th week before the baby is due (that is by the time you are about sic months pregnant):
- that you are pregnant,
- the week you expect to give birth
- when you intend your maternity leave to start: this cannot be before the beginning of the 11th week before the week you expect to give birth
It is advisable, but not a legal requirement, to write to your employer saying you are pregnant, so there is a record you have provided the right information at the right time.
However, you must write to your employer to say you are pregnant if you are asking for a change to your working conditions for health and safety reasons giving the information listed above.
See the Health and Safety Executive guidance for more information.
If you are an employee, you can take reasonable paid time off for antenatal care. This includes not only medical examinations but also, for example, antenatal classes, relaxation or parenting classes, as recommended by a registered doctor, midwife or health visitor. Your employer can only refuse a request for time off if it is reasonable for them to refuse.
Yes, after you have worked for 12 weeks in the same job you can take paid time off to go to antenatal appointments or classes if you cannot reasonably arrange them outside working hours.
See more information on the rights of agency workers on GOV.UK.
Yes, after the first antenatal appointment, you have to provide proof of your appointments, if your employer asks you to do so. You are not entitled to time off for antenatal care appointments until you provide your employer with a certificate confirming that you are pregnant, such as a MAT B1 (which confirms your pregnancy and gives the expected week of childbirth) and an appointment card or equivalent.
You are entitled to take reasonable paid time off during working hours for antenatal care. You should be given the time to travel to the appointment or class. If your appointment is in the morning, it would probably be reasonable to go straight to the appointment and then go to work afterwards.
You should be able to attend antenatal appointments during your normal working hours unless it is reasonable for the employer to refuse. If your employer asks you to change your appointments to a non-working day, and it is not reasonable, this may be pregnancy discrimination. However, in order to maintain a good working relationship you may want to consider attending appointments on a non-working day if this is possible.
You should not be disadvantaged in any way for either taking time off or asking for reasonable time off or for antenatal appointments. This would be pregnancy discrimination.
It is pregnancy discrimination to make unpleasant comments about taking time off for antenatal appointments or comments implying that you are rarely at work.
Generally, it is advisable to tell your manager that their comments are upsetting and explain you are entitled to take time off for antenatal appointments. You may want to raise the issue with human resources, if there is one.
How you address the issue depends on the circumstances including the relationship you have with your manager, the impact of such comments on your health, whether you are a union member and whether you fear that if you complain you might lose your job. If you lose your job as a result of raising a complaint of pregnancy discrimination, this would be victimisation.
If you are a union member speak to your union representative.
If the bad treatment continues you could put in a grievance, setting out the details of what has happened. It may be advisable to take advice as raising a grievance may lead to a worsening of the employment relationship.
Yes, your partner is entitled to time off work to accompany you to two of your antenatal appointments. Your partner must provide written confirmation of the appointments, if their employer asks for this information. Their employer is not obliged to pay them for the time off.
For more information see Time off to accompany a pregnant woman to ante-natal appointments: employer guide (GOV.UK).
Last updated: 29 May 2018