Pregnancy Notification: The Employer’s Guide

Pregnancy Notification: The Employer’s Guide

Telling an employer that you are pregnant can be a nerve-wracking experience, many women don’t know what to expect and they are not sure how their employer will react, they may also be worried that they will be asked questions about their plans for work and childcare, when they may not know the answer themselves!

 

How you handle a pregnancy notification can set the scene for your future relationship with the employee, our top tips should help you navigate what can be a complicated process:

 

  • Congratulate the employee! It may sound obvious, but it is something many employers miss, their first thought often being how they will manage without a potentially key employee for up to 12 months.
  • Maintain confidence, if you have been told in confidence, it should go without saying that you should not be telling the rest of the workforce until the employee is happy for it to become common knowledge.
  • Naturally you may be concerned about meeting operational requirements, particularly if you have a small team or it is a key employee- don’t panic! There is time to work through the plans for the employee and the business, do not make the employee feel guilty, instead consider involving the employee in the planning and preparation for their maternity to ease the transition for everyone involved and to reassure the employee that they are part of the process and not simply being replaced
  • Ensure that you have the key information that you will need to get ready for maternity leave:
    • Baby’s due date
    • Any antenatal appointment dates
    • Provisional date for maternity leave to start
    • (Eventually) provisional date for return to work
    • Brief your payroll

Remember these are not conversations you need to have immediately; the employee may not know when their appointments will be or when they want to start maternity. Make sure you have kept in touch with HR about what you need and when (we have a handy timeline for guidance!) and make sure you understand what the employee’s rights are in respect of appointments, pregnancy related sickness, holidays, bonuses, company cars etc…

  • Remember maternity leave affects more than just the pregnant employee, they may need to take on additional work, train a temporary staff member, or even adjust to that person not being in the workplace for a while if you have a close-knit team. Make sure the team are aware of the plan in terms of changes to the team and work allocation. Communication is the key!

 

Read our full Maternity Leave & Pay Guide

 

 

 

Recruitment Check List. Remain compliant in 10 steps.

Recruitment is such an important process to get right for any business.  Use our recruitment check list to ensure you haven’t missed anything

 

  • Have a designated HR Admin/Assistant to:
    • Automatically send offer letters once a decision has been made (they may get competing offers so once a decision is made you need to act quickly!)
    • Ensure all correspondence has the assistant’s contact details so all necessary paperwork can be processed and sent to the correct people (e.g. inform the department of the staring date, payroll forms etc…)
    • Send out for references once an offer has been accepted

 

  • Check the contract and ensure it contains necessary and accurate detail (Names, Addresses, Position, Start date, Salary, Benefits, Weekly hours, Holiday allowance, Place of work etc.)

 

  • Diarise to ensure that the contract of employment is sent out on Day 1 of employment (or before) it’s a good idea to have it signed and returned before they start

 

  • Answer future employee’s questions and queries at the early stage of onboarding to guide them and help them to feel part of the team

 

  • Make sure new employee’s desk is prepared and equipped with all necessary devices, it’s a good idea to provide some stationary and any welcome literature that you may have

 

  • Make sure new employee has access to all necessary systems and enrolled in payroll.

 

  • Provide an induction and office tour for a new starter, provide them with an employee handbook and a company background.

 

  • Introduce new employee to everybody and make them feel welcome, provide them with an ‘office buddy’ who they can have coffee with for the first couple of weeks, act as a friendly point of call and to ensure that they do not feel too isolate whilst they settle in.

 

    If you struggle to make time to follow the steps of this recruitment check list contact HR Anchor for help with your onboarding process and much more.  We offer packages starting from just £1.75 per employee per week, let us alleviate your HR pressures, save you time and keep you compliant.  We offer free, no obligation consultations.

     

    Sophie Mamaladze, HR Anchor, HR Administrator