Coping with maternity

Unlike in earlier times, employers are accustomed to working around family issues such as maternity leave

DEAR J.T. & DALE: I’m currently looking for a new job and just found out I’m pregnant. Do I have to tell? — Mandy

J.T.: No, you aren’t required to mention it to prospective employers. However, they may be disappointed when they hire you and then, a few months later, learn you’re leaving them or taking an extended maternity leave, perhaps believing that you took advantage of them. I know that doesn’t seem fair, but employers hire and train you in the hope that you’ll be with them a while. So not telling them about something that will take you away in less than a year can cause them to feel deceived.

Dale: Whoa. That wasn’t the “you go, girl” answer I was expecting. And thus it falls to me, the old white guy of the team, to give you a better answer, Mandy. Don’t let J.T. make you feel guilty. Sure, employers would rather not deal with vacations or sick time or any other absences but, hey, that’s how the business world works and that includes dealing with maternity leave. There was a time when employers openly avoided hiring women of prime childbearing age. I remember one female business owner complaining to me that her newspaper wouldn’t run her job ad that sought “post-menopausal women.” However, in this New Economy, employers are accustomed to working around family leave. Facebook’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, is taking two months of paternity leave. What will Facebook do in his absence? Deal with it. And your new employer will, too.

J.T.: On the surface, they’ll deal with it. However, I’m talking about the underlying resentments that can affect your career. Thus, if you take a new job, work very hard to make them glad they hired you. Then do what I’m sure Mark Zuckerberg will do: Help put in place the resources to cover for you in your absence and be available if questions arise. However, there’s one other option that might be simpler. You say you’re looking for a new job, which means you have one now. What if you stay ’til after the baby is born? That way, you leave the old employer at a time when they are already prepared to cover your position and, when you move to a new employer, you don’t have to keep anything from them. Timing can make a huge difference in the trajectory of your career.

Dear J.T. & Dale: I’ve been applying for admin jobs at hospitals. I just got an offer and with it came a questionnaire asking everything about my health history, including medications and herbal supplements. I don’t want to answer! I have some health issues but am asking for no special accommodations. My fear is that, if I don’t answer, the offer will be rescinded. Or, if I answer and lie, the truth might come out and I’ll be terminated. — Lily

J.T.: Is there some aspect of the job that requires them to know these things about you? They should disclose the reason they are requesting this information. I would suggest that you reach out to them, and politely ask why they are requiring the information and how it relates to your ability to do the job. They should then tell you if your hiring is dependent upon it, at which point you can decide if you want to comply.

Dale: If you don’t fill out the forms, they’ll assume the worst. And speaking of assumptions, let’s assume that this hospital is up to date on HIPAA and other health information privacy requirements. (The legal department is sure to have made this very clear to everyone, including HR.) And let’s assume the best about their motives. Of course they’d want to know about your health — they have a hospital full of sick people and you’re going to be around those sick people, or at least the folks who are. So I’m going to assume they want to protect the patients. Or maybe they take employee accommodation seriously and want to help. Maybe they care about wellness. So fill out the forms. Take the job. Be healthy.