Should Women Disclose If They Are Pregnant During Job Interviews?

[Deskdiary]

Personally I think yes.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/19/uk-bosses-believe-women-should-say-at-interview-if-they-are-pregnant-report

How frustrating would it be to have a job offer accepted and then upon starting the job and the training involved to be told a years worth of maternity leave will soon be taken.

[naomi24]

Yes.... but I doubt they'd get the job, and understandably.

[Gromit]

They probably should if they are asked.

Fathers are entitled to paternity leave too, so they should disclose as well.

[bhg481]

Since there is also paternity leave, shouldn't men also be queried about their partner's status?

[Jackdaw33]

Paternity leave is only a couple of weeks. Hardly a comparison.

[mikey4444]

As pregnancy will have a significant effect on the immediate employment prospects of any woman taking a job, than I think its a perfectly reasonable question to ask.

[naomi24]

Jackdaw at 08:20, quite.

[bhg481]

I hadn't realised that paternity leave was so short (it didn't exist in my day), so I agree with Jackdaw.

[Sqad]

What would be the point?
If they were less than 12 weeks, they would deny it and if they were more than 12 weeks, it may well be obvious.
They wouldn't always tell the truth.....so why ask?
Answer...if possible.....don't appoint women.

[mikey4444]

Paternity leave isn't universal, even now.

In the firm I worked for as Financial Adviser until 2008, men had to fight tooth and nail to get any time off at all.

And when they did, they were expected to make up for lost sales when they returned, very aggressively by the Managers.

[murraymints]

Ooo sqad....beware the wrath ensuing ! Lol

[Jackdaw33]

Beware, Sqad. The coven is circling overhead.

[douglas9401]

All very well Sqad, but who's going to make tea and coffee and clean up the sink area?

[Sqad]

douglas....LOL.....aaaaagh!....good point.

[Gromit]

I’m not comparing it.

But if a future employee is expecting 2 weeks paid paternity leave soon, they should volunteer the information. For a small business, even a 2 week unproductivity period could be an expense they might want to consider.

[mikey4444]

Sqad...your views on the employment of women is well known on here. If companies were allowed to put into practise your chosen method of recruiting, there would hardly be a woman of child bearing age left in employment.

[mikey4444]

And who is going to keep that glass ceiling clean ?

[Garaman]

Yes.

[naomi24]

I’m with sqad. I wouldn’t employ a young woman in any occupation that incurred my time and expense in training her, or that would render her difficult to replace in any prolonged absence.

[mikey4444]

Naomi....the women that you have just described would seem to include millions of women in Britain today.

[naomi24]

Indeed, Mikey.