When to tell work you're pregnant

How far along your pregnancy is

Generally, most female employees wait until the end of their first trimester or the beginning of their second trimester to inform their employer that they are pregnant. However, you might have personal reasons for telling your employer earlier or later. You should try to relay this information to your employer before you start to clearly "show" in your work attire.

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

If your pregnancy requires you to attend more doctor's appointments than a typical pregnancy you might want to share your pregnancy news earlier with your employer. Doing this can help your employer 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 employer earlier than usual. This can be considered a courtesy to your employer, 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 about specific company policies regarding pregnancies and maternity leave. You can also reference materials like your employee handbook with helpful information.

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.

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

Once you feel like you have taken all of the necessary preparatory steps for announcing your pregnancy to your employer 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-announcement

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

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.