Pregnant in an interview - Full disclosure or hide the truth?

Natasha Kaplinski’s announcement that she is three months pregnant just weeks into her £1million contract with Channel Five raises a question about maternity and the rights of both employers and potential parents. Her announcement comes at a time of debate about maternity leave for high-profile women. Sir Alan Sugar, the entrepreneur, has insisted employers should be entitled to ask female staff if they plan to start a family.

Perhaps not quite as high profile but certainly commonly encountered, an optometrist friend confided with me recently that she was in the early stages of pregnancy whilst preparing for an interview with a small independent company.  She was very worried and felt very ‘guilty.’

‘I have been waiting for this job to come up for a long time. But I am 8 weeks pregnant’ she said. ‘I have not been for my first scan, and I haven’t even told my mother. But if I am offered this job, I will be nearly 4 months pregnant when I start. That’s not good, is it? After all, it a small business, not like the big multiples who can deal more easily with maternity leave.’

I thought that her concern for her future employer was admirable but admit that I was glad I was not in her shoes.
So,what should she have done? Legally or morally?

Share This