"But she never brought it up. Not with me, not with HR, not with anyone. I didn't ask her about it, though nearly everyone else in our office asked me. I cringed when I responded since it was obvious she was pregnant but I felt that I needed to protect her privacy. I felt like I was walking around on pins and needles with this very obvious elephant in the room."
"You were right to ignore it, awkward and strange as it felt. Sometimes when people think someone looks obviously pregnant, they actually aren't. Sometimes that's just their body shape, even if it's new. Other times they're pregnant but know they won't be carrying the baby to full-term because of a medical situation and don't want to talk about that at work."
A manager noticed a direct report became visibly pregnant but the employee did not disclose it to anyone. The manager avoided asking and privately adjusted duties, picking up heavier items to accommodate perceived needs. The employee later went on bed rest, gave birth, and did not return to the organization. Colleagues wondered whether to celebrate or ask, creating workplace awkwardness. Guidance affirmed that refraining from confronting visible pregnancy is appropriate because appearances can be misleading and individuals may have private medical circumstances that make disclosure undesirable.
Read at Fast Company
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