Telling your boss you are pregnant can be a tricky, highly personalized situation. I had to do it twice in one month and I feel I could have done it better each time.
The impact of this important message can be swayed by three factors, your history with the company, your boss, and your job description. No matter what your position try not to stress about it since most companies wouldn't dare fire a pregnant woman who does her job for fear of the backlash.
First off, you don't need to tell your boss as soon as you find out. Many women find it inappropriate to announce a pregnancy even to friends until they are about three months along. It is perfectly reasonable for you to withhold information until you are convinced that it is a healthy pregnancy. However, if early symptoms are interfering with your day to day work, you may want to come out sooner so it wont be seen as a lack of interest in your work.
The impact of your pregnancy can be more or less severe depending on your job description. If you are in a field that requires continuous lifting more than 15 pounds or exposure to hazardous chemicals you will need to tell your boss as soon as possible. Anything that could harm the fetus is a bad idea and a huge liability for the company. That being said, you will need to be reassigned or take leave. Personal financial concerns and fear of your boss are not a top priority here. If your job requires you be on your feet a lot, you may need to leave at some point in your third trimester, but that should give your boss plenty of time to prepare. You have many legal rights which vary from state to state and company to company so if you feel you are being unfairly treated as a result of your pregnancy you should find out your rights.
Telling your boss you are pregnant can be a whole other story if you work for Lucifer himself. Keep in mind that it is always better to tell them yourself than to let gossip proceed you. You can do this in a letter or private meeting, which ever makes you more comfortable. Most companies do not require you give specific details as to when you wish to start leave so you can leave that flexible until closer to your due date. Also, I believe the federal minimum leave is six weeks unpaid if you work for a company with 50 or less employees, more for larger companies.
Now, the hardest thing to face while preparing for this message is the question, "Have I been a reliable employee?" Companies are going to be a lot more understanding on a woman who showed up everyday and did her job well, but if you are the type who uses up all her sick days by he third week of January they may think you are crying wolf when the pains of pregnancy set in. If you wish to return to your job it is extremely important you bear the discomforts of pregnancy and save sick days for if something truly unbearable happens and you must take off or start leave early. If this is your first pregnancy you should know it gets a lot worse as time goes on.
Just remember the best way to tell your boss is professionally and reassure them you are at work when you are at work. So, I said earlier I didn't tell my bosses very well, want to know what I said? Once I told him I was 10 weeks along and the only thing that made me want to puke more than morning sickness was him, and I left. The next guy hired me after an interview where I stood behind a tall counter. Two days after I started my co-worker noticed and she told him.