I don't get it. Why is it so important to keep a pregnancy secret? Isn't it going to be pretty obvious that you're pregnant when you start getting the big belly before you're off on leave?
I'm in this boat right now. I am 7-8 weeks pregnant, so VERY early days, and I am avoiding telling my boss, sespite the fact he is sometimes an awesome person.
Reasons I don't want to tell yet: I am worried about being passed over - if I tell him, and then an opportunity for an upgrade comes up, I don't want to be passed over for one of the guys. I've seen it happen at my employer - the guys are seem as stable, but they are very ambitious and the industry is moving so they jump at the chance to fly the heavy metal.
I don't want to be treated differently - I don't want to be coddled, and wrapped in cotton wool. I don't want my judgement to be constantly questioned - I am a flight instructor, and part of my job is assessing students to determine whether they are ready for flight tests. It would be incredibly undermining for someone to turn around and say I didn't pass a student because pregnancy was making me bitchy.
Thirdly, it really is none of my boss's business just yet. I am taking unpaid time off due to
morning all day sickness, but I have just told him I have some health issues. As a pilot, we are expected to take time off - something as simple as a blocked nose can be truely incapacitating. (As a note: I have seen an aviation doctor, and he is happy for me to fly when I feel up to it)
I have already been discriminated against for having a child - I applied to a workplace, and they openly challenged my ability to work based on the fact I had a child. Twice.
On the sick leave basis, I really don't think it matters whether your employer is public or private - the minimum rules should apply to each.
My current job, I am casual (so no sick or annual leave), but my last employer we would recieve 2 weeks sick leave per year, and 6 weeks vacation (but we didn't get public holidays). Or employer also had the clause we had to provide a medical certificate if we took more than 3 days, or took leave on a day borderring an RDO. And my former boss would actually demand that medical certificate too. It was a right PITA.
At one point they had the entire aircraft fleet grounded, so they forced us all to take paid leave if we had accrued it.
Pretty sure here sick leave is for being sick, caregiving to sick dependants, and also mental health days are included in what we can use it for.