Are women obligated to declare their pregnancy state before taking a job offer?
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Are women obligated to declare their pregnancy state before taking a job offer?
Having spent a few years working as a recruiter and several years besides that as a hiring manager, I strongly suggest that you not disclose your pregnancy until you have a formal offer in-hand. If you tell them now and you are up against other candidates for the same role, and especially if it’s a close call between several well-qualified candidates, chances are good that your disclosed pregnancy will be held against you implicitly. The hiring manager will have your inevitable time off for maternity leave in mind and they likely will not feel enthusiastic about the idea of hiring you now and then being short-staffed or hiring again for a temporary role to cover your work while you’re out. They will most likely just pick a similarly well-qualified candidate besides you, if they have one. If you wait until you have a formal offer letter to disclose your pregnancy, then they can’t rescind the offer simply because of that revelation. Basically, by doing this you are effectively enforcing federal law and protecting yourself against discrimination.
Do not disclose until you have an actual job offer. It would be very easy for them to decide not to hire you because of it. If you get the job and accept the offer tell them on your first day. When I was applying for jobs last summer while in my third trimester this is the advice the recruiter I was working with gave me. It might not disadvantage you to disclose the information, but it certainly doesn’t ever advantage you. Therefore I would not recommend telling them until you’re confirmed in the position. You do not owe them this information and pregnant people are a protected class of individuals.