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pregnancy and work

Posted by: natalie
Date: 7/26/2005 2:46:17 PM

i had been putting off telling my crappy manager that i am pregnant because she is the sort of person you wouldnt want to tell until you really have to. in any case i have no legal or formal duty to tell her yet as i am only 18 weeks, when i had discussed what she is like with my midwife she said i didnt have to tell her yet and added that when people are negative it is usually because they might have wanted another baby but never got the opportunity. I already have 2 children, my boss has just one aged 18 but she has no partner or man in her life. I was prepared for a negative reaction but could not believe the reaction i got.... i just want to share it with anyone who wants to read it- and would appreciate comments on the matter.

SO i told my line manager today that i am pregnant and after sitting with her mouth wide open for 3 minutes with a blotchy red rash appearing all up her neck she began shaking and told me i had no rights...???- i told her i had every right and she'd best get used to it because i would be having regular ante natal appointments, to which she replied "not about that, about getting pregnant!"

i said "what?" (felt as if i was 13yrs old and she was my mum) she said "you should have told me"

i said "i have just told you" she said "i mean you should have told me right away-I have a right to know" to which i replied "i didnt have to tell you yet but i have just told you now and now you know" to which she picked up her mobile phone and stormed into the back room.

I told my work colleague that i couldn't believe i am in trouble for being pregnant- my colleague said maybe she's in shock and laughed as we both know what she is like.

When my manager returned from the back room with her phone in her hand, her face was even redder and her bottom lip was shaking, we all got on with our work and there was an awful stoney silence for about 10 mins... i couldnt stand the nasty treatment for my good news and shouldn't have to have nervous palpitations at work over something like this... so i turned around and told her that she had treated my news apalingly, - no congratulations or when is the baby due- as normal people do, making sure i told her that was the most negative and horrible reaction i have ever had. she shrugged her shoulders said nothing for a few minutes then told me that "i deserved the silent treatment"

shocked i replied " i deserve a silent treatment for being pregnant? i didnt realise it was an offence and i would be in trouble at work"

she replied that was the best treatment for me as i always hit her with these things like a tonne of bricks...??? then stormed out to make another phone call, no doubt about me to her manager about what to do with me being pregnant etc... what do you make of that?

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