How to tell your boss you're pregnant

If you need to take time off of work before maternity leave

If your pregnancy requires you to attend more doctors appointments than a typical pregnancy you might want to share your pregnancy news earlier with your boss. Doing this can help your boss to better accommodate your schedule.

Consider your job responsibilities

If you are a crucial part of a small team in which your absence will be immensely felt, you might want to consider telling your boss earlier than usual. This can be considered a courtesy to your boss, as they will have to figure out how to manage the role in your eventual absence.

Research your company's policies

You can seek out information from your company's human resources department to find out more on specific company policies regarding pregnancies and maternity leave. You can also reference materials like your employee handbook with helpful information. Between these kinds of sources, you should be able to find when and how best to tell your boss.

Outline a plan

This lines up with considering your job responsibilities. It can be helpful to create a list of potential solutions for team members or other employees that will be affected by your maternity leave. Doing this is a great way to show your boss that you still very much care about your job and responsibilities even during this very important part of your personal life.

Set a date for a meeting with your boss and make it official

Once you feel like you have taken all of the necessary preparatory steps for announcing your pregnancy to your boss and to the office as a whole, you can then schedule an in-person meeting to deliver the news. Avoid doing this via email or other written form, this type of announcement should be in-person.

Post-telling your boss

Once you have told your boss, manager, or supervisor about your pregnancy you can feel free to tell your coworkers or others in the office or your specific working environment. A good idea is to confirm specific details with your superior first before sharing your news with everyone else, that way all parties receive the correct details.

Document your announcement to your boss

While the official announcement should be done in person, it is also important after having done this to document your announcement in some way. You can do this by sending your employer an official email or letter stating the essentials regarding your maternity leave and any other critical information. This can also be helpful for any teams you are a part of.