Pregnant? How to Tell Your Boss!

Congratulations! You're expecting! (And it's not only the baby you should expect, but a whole host of fun issues that come with being pregnant!) By this point, you may have shared your good news with family and close friends, but have yet to broach the topic with co-workers. While you may have felt excitement in telling your loved ones, it's most likely a sense of trepidation that will follow you into your boss' office. Do you know how she will react? (We'll assume your supervisor is a woman for this piece, but these tactics work well for both genders.) Whether you're telling her that you'll be back after the baby or that your plans include being a stay-at-home mom, here are some guidelines to breaking the news.

One of the most important things you'll need to do is to tell your boss before she finds out from someone else. Occasionally, your co-workers will guess that you're pregnant before you've even told them. If you've fallen victim to morning sickness or your pencil skirts have taken on a new shape, you'll risking your supervisor finding out indirectly.

Set Aside Time
Start by making an appointment to talk one-on-one with your supervisor. There is no "right" time to tell her, but many women wait until they are at least 12 weeks along. (The chance of miscarriage is greatly reduced after the first trimester. If you shared your news and then miscarried, it would save you the heartache of explaining your tragedy to multiple co-workers.) However, if your pregnancy is prohibiting you from performing certain aspects of your job, you should tell your employer much sooner. And explaining why you've been unable to work will quickly clear up any performance issues. So, when should you approach your boss? Try to schedule the time when neither of you are feeling rushed or stressed. Have you just completed a successful project or received a good evaluation? You might find that your co-workers and supervisor are more relaxed about your news.