Q–I started a new job and one week later I discovered I was pregnant. It was unplanned. Should I tell my employer as soon as possible or wait until I start showing? This job was a good opportunity for me and I am afraid of their reaction.
A–Women usually wait until the third month of pregnancy before announcing it because of the many risks involved in the beginning. When you talk to your boss, emphasize that it was unplanned and that you did not want them to feel deceived in any way. Also talk about the job being a great opportunity for your career and that you look forward to giving them 100 percent before and after you have your baby. You might be able to win them over if your boss senses your sincerity and a strong work ethic.
Q–I suffer from a chronic illness that causes me to use more sick days than others. My company offers only 12 combined paid vacation and sick days a year. This is unfair to me since I need more sick time than other employees, so they end up with more vacation time off than I do. My boss said he would work with me on this if I came up with a plan. Do most companies divide sick and vacation time?
A–All companies design their own sick and vacation time policies, but most require employees to use vacation time once their sick days have been used. If you can do at least some parts of your job from home, perhaps you can arrange to complete that work during your absences.
Q–I am responsible for a large distribution center. We recently went from manual systems to a new computer system that was supposed to make our lives easier. Since we went live, our system crashes regularly, and we have to revert back to manual work but still deal with the computer process. I told my boss that this has me so stressed out I haven’t been sleeping or eating. He said he might be able to create another job for me if I could not do my job, but at a reduced salary. I said I was not interested. He said he would give me another chance to do my job, but if I can’t after 30 days, I will be fired. Will this ruin my chances for unemployment?
A–If you are not fired for insubordination, but fired because you couldn’t handle the stress and increase of the amount of work, you should be able to collect unemployment. But since it sounds like you already know you can’t handle the new demands, try to find a new job before your 30 days expires. It’s important to know what jobs are available outside your company, because you may want to accept your boss’s original offer for a less stressful job at a lower salary. You may be embarrassed to accept it at first, but maintaining happiness and good health are worth it.
Q–My experience has been that many companies handle complaints poorly and prefer to drive out the employees who complain rather than deal with the situation. And frequently, there are no negative consequences for people who manage poorly. Rather than complain to a company and chance getting fired, I think it’s better to simply look for another job.
A–Looking for another job is always an option, but people who have put years into a company, only to see management change and now treat them shabbily, have a right to voice their opinions. It’s always risky to complain, even when the complaint is reasonable and logical, but the alternative of running away with a defeatist’s attitude is unappealing to many people.
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Write to Lindsey Novak, Jobs, Room 400, 435 N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 60611. E-mail her at AtWorkbyLN@aol.com.
