Please read and share your thoughts.
Mabel got married two years ago and has been searching for a new job after her marriage. Three months after dropping her application, she was finally invited for an interview by a company she had been longing to work for. She was excited at first but anxiety took over when she realized she was 8 weeks pregnant with her first child.
Though, Mabel was very nervous during the interview, she decided to inform the company during the interview process of her pregnancy. She became increasingly anxious as she was not sure of what will be the outcome of the interview as a result of her pregnancy disclosure to the hiring team. However, she knew she did the right thing – both in the short and long term. She could have kept quiet until after she was hired because the pregnancy was not yet showing but decided to take a risk and felt that it was important to be upfront and honest from the start.
In the end, her honesty paid off. The company responded that her pregnancy news did not affect her application for the job – and she ultimately received the offer letter.
Mabel’s story is the best-case scenario. But are other pregnant women as fortunate? Some HR professionals say telling a prospective employer you are expecting a child is not always the best move. Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all rule when it comes to a topic as delicate as this.
Do you think the employer always has the right to know? If you were employed or looking for a job when you were pregnant, how did you handle it? Let us know what you think and what you would do if you were in that position? If you are in HR, how would you typically handle this situation?
