Can they not renew my contract due to pregnancy? UK only, please.?

I've just found out I'm pregnant and I'm a little worried as I'm on a six monthly fix term contract, which ends in March (I've actually been with the company for two years but on a six-monthly FTC which has been renewed several times, they stopped all permanent recruitment last year due to the recession).





Last time my contract was up for renewal (in September) my boss made a big fuss about whether they could renew it, due to the business being in financial difficulty and having to considering whether my job was financially viable to the company. She also made a big hoo-haa about the amount of time off sick I'd supposedly had (which was nowhere near as much as some of my permanent colleagues have had and was actually only a few instances!!)





I'm sure that when she finds out I'm pregnant she won't renew my contract, saying it won't be viable to do so due to the fact that my baby would be due in September and a FTC would run from March-September, making me unable to complete it.





Would she be able to do this legally? I know I have the option of not telling her I'm pregnant yet but if my morning sickness gets anywhere near as bad as it was with my son I might have to. Plus I'd get no maternity pay although as I have been working and paying tax/NI I can still claim a benefit called "Maternity Allowance" yes? I did claim that when I was pregnant with my son as my contract ended when I was 26 weeks pregnant. this was in 2006 though so I don't know if anything has changed . . .





Any advice? I live in the UK.|||I can't help with your contract issues, but congratulations!





Hope all goes well for you.|||They do not need a reason to not renew a fixed term contract. Keep your mouth shut till March. Dry toast.... lots of dry toast....





Richard|||Why tell them, I doubt anything will be "showing" at the end of March. Even if it does you can disguise it. Get your next contract and let them deal with it then. Good luck





Edit,





If it gets bad, my Wife suffered really bad on our first but not so bad on the second, ring up the Government hot line and give swine flu symptoms, automatic 2 weeks sick note. I am sure you are intuitive enough to get away with it.|||Not going to be a popular answer, but they don't have to renew your contract at all. You cannot have your contract terminated because of your pregnancy, but they don't have to give you a new one. Of course if they don't renew, they won't admit that it was because of your pregnancy. You could keep the news to yourself for now. Perhaps you could keep "mum" until after the renewal, only to find they don't renew it anyway, which would absolve them of any accusation of discrimination.|||Maternity rights have recently altered in the UK - if they didn't renew your contract purely because of pregnancy its discrimination, but, you say they have had recession issues - so this could be a problem. Have a look at this link http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/U鈥?/a> - which takes you to the DirectGov website, also try HMRC website. You are an employee so you should be accorded the same rights as 'permanent' worker I think. Its a bit of a minefield and you need advise quickly - HMRC have a helpline - they should be able to clarify for you.