08-13-2024
A pregnant female employee identified only as "u/IllSituation6855" shared the details of her work experience on Reddit. She was eight months pregnant and at work. As she began to experience contractions, she initially thought they might be false labor. However, the contractions increased in intensity and frequency. Her boss, John, had previously called her "overly dramatic" and recommended she "schedule" her labor around important meetings. By noon, the Reddit user felt intense labor contractions and needed to go to the hospital right away. John allegedly dismissed her concerns and insisted she stay for a "crucial" 1:00 p.m. meeting. According to the woman, John instructed her to "sit through" the meeting and said she could leave after it was over, saying, "It's not like the baby is going to pop out right now." The woman feared losing her job, so she stayed for the two-hour meeting. She posted on Reddit that by the end of the meeting, she felt so much pain she could barely walk.
This Reddit user posted that her husband insisted she report what happened to HR after she gave birth. The employer suspended John during the investigation into her report. The new mom then learned John had emailed the whole office about her "lack of commitment" and accused the woman of using her pregnancy to avoid working. Following the suspension, the woman says her coworkers expressed anger at her for overreacting and "ruining" John's career.
An expert consulted by Newsweek emphasized how the situation highlighted a lack of management training and professional maturity. The post received almost 5,000 comments and 16,000 upvotes supporting her, with some recommending she consult an employment attorney.