Accepting weddings while pregnant. Ethics question.

[alishia-joubert]

Ok, I’ll try to make this short. I”m absolutely thrilled to be expecting a baby on Sept. 14th. Right in the peak of wedding season, but I don’t care! She is a much welcomed blessing!

I have 3 weddings booked, 3 weeks before I’m due…Aug.24, 25, 26 I will have backup harpists in place “just in case”, and have checked with my Dr. about my risks of delivering early. She has given me the “all clear”.

My question is, am I obligated to tell my clients NOW that I am due 3 weeks after their wedding? My backup plan is clearly spelled out in the contract, and they will see I am pregnant when they come for their consultation in July. I just want to do the right thing, but also don’t want to loose out on the weddings. Am I being ethical by not saying anything. BTW, 2 have contracts out and are due to come back in this week.

I also have one booked on Sept. 1st, and that bride knows the situation and is super cool with it.

[tony-morosco]

Although anti discrimination laws don’t protect you in this case, consider that if you were being hired by a company with 15 or more employees it would be illegal to refuse to hire you just because you were pregnant.

Even though in your situation as basically a contract worker being hired by a private individual that law doesn’t cover you, the ethics of it are the same. So long as you have a reasonable expectation of being able to perform the work you are being hired for then not only is your pregnancy status not their business, but if they didn’t want to hire you just for being pregnant then THEY would be the ones acting unethically (even if technically legal in this particular instance).

No, you aren’t obliged. So long as your contracts are clear and your backup is included in that so they know what will happen if you can’t be there for any reason, you have covered all your own ethical obligations.

Think of it this way. If I had an engagement to play one weekend and the previous weekend I had plans to go skiing, am I obligated to tell that to the person hiring me? After all, I probably have as much chance of falling and breaking my leg skiing the weekend before and being unable to play the engagement as you have of going into labor three weeks early.

[alishia-joubert]

Thank you, Tony. Your skiing analogy helps me tremendously! It makes perfect sense, and really puts my mind at ease. I have never cancelled a gig, and have no intention of doing so now. I just want to do right by my clients, and make sure that my reputation stays in tact!

[Sarah Mullen]

Thanks for bringing up this topic.

[sherry-lenox]

I think you delightful young women should develop a solid circle of non- Mommy harpists to cover, then enjoy working as long as you can and enjoy being with your babies as long as they need you.

Hearty congrats to you, Alishia, and best also to those of you who are looking forward to being moms in the future.

Also, you may prefer to skip the episode of “How I Met Your Mother” in which Lilly and Marshall get married until your babies are here!

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