There are many questions that you may have about work and pregnancy that go beyond what your doctor or midwife can answer. I've asked them of employment lawyer, Wendel Hall. He will help us answer many of them and give you a starting point for dealing with the decisions surrounding your job.
When should I tell my employer about my pregnancy?
In short, don't until you need to. When you need to will depend on your medical condition, potential workplace hazards, and your plans. In general, your pregnancy is legally irrelevant to your work. If you can do your work, keep doing it and do it very well.
There likely will come a time when your pregnancy will be too obvious to hide or that your medical condition will require accommodation. Before reaching that point, discuss any workplace hazards with your doctor and make a decision about the risks. Next, you should contact the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and your state civil rights commission to find out what your rights are. You should also be aware of how to file a complaint if you need to.
Next, review your company's short-term disability and medical policies. You need to look for anything that strikes you as treating pregnancy as any different from any other short-term disability. Of course, your company may have a specific maternity leave policy. If so, review that.
Next, review your work performance since your last job evaluation and, especially, since the time you became pregnant. You want to demonstrate two things. First, that you can and have done the job, even though you're pregnant. Second, you want to pay attention so that when the employer starts to reduce your duties, you can document the change.
Finally, make an appointment with Human Resources and let them know about your pregnancy.
