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7 Tips for Telling Your Boss You're Pregnant

By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide

Telling your boss about your pregnancy can be scary. But here are some tried and true tip to make sharing news of your pregnancy go smoothly and without fuss:

   1. Decide when to tell your boss you're pregnant.
      You should have a plan for when you'd like to tell your boss about your pregnancy. This may be at the end of the first trimester if your job isn't altered by your pregnancy, as in you're not working with dangerous chemicals and need to tell sooner.

   2. Tell your boss first.
      Don't fall into the trap of telling other people in the office first. Trust me, the word or hints will spill and you'll be outed when you didn't want to be. It doesn't look very professional when your boss is the last to know. The same goes for morning sickness at work, tell before your symptoms do.

   3. Be professional.
      Remember that with a few minor exceptions, you should be able to handle your job the same way that you did before you were pregnant. Don't become the pregnant princess and expect everyone to do your work for you. This will only make people, including your boss, resent you.

   4. Know how pregnancy will effect your job.
      Try to figure out how your job will be effected by your pregnancy. Will your due date be near a big project deadline? Will you need to alter your travel plans because of your pregnancy? Try to have plans in place before your pregnant or as soon as you know, even if you haven't told the boss yet.

   5. Be prepared to talk about maternity leave.
      Your boss may be concerned about whether or not you're coming back. You may or may not know. If you haven't decided you'll need to figure out if you're going to be honest about that point or simply say you're planning to come back. Have a plan about what you will do to prepare someone to take over your work, if needed, while you're on leave. Even if it's not the perfect plan, it's a starting point.

   6. Don't be frightened.
      Many women are frightened about telling the boss. They feel that they will loss their jobs. Losing your job because of pregnancy is considered discrimination and you are protected form this type of action. You can't be fired for being pregnant.

   7. Decide where to tell your boss.
      You should also decide where you will tell your boss. The break room with lots of on-lookers is a bad idea. Try to talk to your boss when she is not in a rush, not in a bad mood, etc. If you need to make an appointment do so. If there isn't a quiet, private place where you work, ask to use another office or see if you can grab a cup of coffee or quick lunch with your boss.

Remember, just as you're nervous about telling the boss you're pregnant, they are worried about their bottom line. What will this pregnancy mean to their business? Will they need to find and train someone else? Will you come back after maternity leave? Do your best to let your boss know that this will be a group effort and that you intend to keep the lines of communications open.

Just remember to open, honest and non-apologetic. You're pregnant! And it's a good thing...
Source : About.com
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