Dear CarolineCongratulations on the baby. I’m happy to say that, no, you’re not legally obliged to tell potential employers about your pregnancy at interview, although in practice you may decide that you’re more comfortable being ‘open’ about it.
You don’t have to say anything at this stage and you’d be well within your rights going through the interviews without mentioning it. If you’re directly asked the question, then there could be legal implications if you lie – although at the same time, you may well have some recourse against the interviewer for asking the question in the first place.
On the other hand, you may decide that it’s not the best basis for a working relationship if you have to tell your employer a few weeks into the job that in fact you’ll shortly be going on maternity leave. The employer may feel it would have been better if you’d been clear about this from the start. If you do disclose your pregnancy and then don’t get any of the jobs, this may well amount to sex discrimination if you can prove you didn’t get the jobs because of your pregnancy. However, this could be tricky to prove.
If you get one of these jobs, you’ll be entitled to 18 weeks’ maternity leave regardless of length of service. You may also be entitled to statutory maternity pay or a maternity allowance and any additional benefits your employer maybe offering.
Good luck with the decision.
