Being let go for being pregnant

[Anonymous]

I made the mistake of telling my boss on Friday that I'm pregnant and due in October. While he was happy for me, he was really clear on not being able to have me take the 6 weeks I need to take.They don't have the resources to hire a temp and pay for my leave. I have no idea what to do. They will be listing my job on Monday and I am terrified they'll find a replacement with in a month. If I interview for a new job, it's going to be obvious I'm pregnant and they could hold that against me. I have done some checking and with in Maryland what he's doing is legal since we're less than 6 employees, so it's basically his prerogative. I can't afford not to work for 9 or 10 months. We wouldn't be able to make our mortgage. I am freaking out and wished I had kept my big mouth shut till it was so obvious and I had to say something. What can I do? I am at a loss.

[Anonymous]

What county are you in? The rules vary by county as to how many employees he has to have to be able to do that.
Also, don't let on that you might take action. Get free legal help from your county. Ask him if he would be willing to wait until you actually need the time off to find someone else.
I am a big believer in waiting until the last minute to tell. Sadly, you could lose the baby and end up with no job. So it is best not to let on too early.
BUT, this is probably NOT the job for you anyway.

[Anonymous]

PP. I work in Montgomery County (Rockville). I thought the laws were statewide.

[Anonymous]

Something similar happened to me - my position was made redundant after I told my manager I was 5 months pregnant. I would highly suggest consulting with a lawyer to see what benefits you have as an employee. It is a horrible situation to be in and I really feel for you. Whatever happens, try not to stress yourself out as this is not good for you or the baby. I am thinking of you and wish you the best.

[Anonymous]

OP, I think in MC it is ONE employee that puts him in the position of having to accommodate you.
If you are really desperate, you could consider returning to work early. I took on two weeks off with my dd, simply because I had NO choices.

[Anonymous]

OP in general, small companies are not good places to work when having kids.

[Anonymous]

I thought with the FMLA most of these situations can't happen, no matter what the size of your company is? I know in DC if you are 1 employee or more you can't let someone go for being pregnant. But MC more like less than 6.

[Anonymous]

I thought that in MC it was 6-7 employees, but my lawyer checked and it's apparently 1. FMLA is not for small companies.
I can see the employers side at times. When our baby sitter had to take time off, it put us into a financial tailspin. When she came back, we put the kids in daycare 6 months later, because we couldn't afford her anymore, and we couldn't take any more chances.

[Anonymous]

Some thoughts:

--Do you have enough accrued sick leave/vacation time to cover even part of the six-week maternity leave you were hoping to take? Even most employers who fall under FMLA (including the federal government) don't offer paid maternity leave; you have to take sick and vacation time. (I'm assuming the answer to this is no, or you wouldn't be freaking out.)

--Even if the law is against you, public opinion would not be. Maternity leave and such may not be a top-tier campaign issue, but it's out there. Both Hillary and Obama advocate for better maternity leave coverage. There are a number of working-mom Congresswomen who are also big advocates for this. You could start making phone calls. Even your local "6-on-your-side" type TV reporter might be interested in your story. This might even make a great Oprah!! It might not save this particular job for you, but it would make your boss look like the schmuck he is, and it the publicity might generate other job offers from more family-friendly employers!

--If your company is on such shaky financial ground that it can't afford a temp for six weeks, do you really want to work for them anyway? You're going to have a new mouth to feed, so it might be in your best interest to look for more stable employment anyway. If you interview with a bigger company visibly pregnant, they may be so scared of a lawsuit that it may actually work in your favor!!! Don't feel like you're trapped. Plenty of employers would still be willing to consider you for an opening.

--And just in case you have any remaining loyalty or sympathy for your boss, think about it: would they fire a male colleague for getting his appendix out? Not a chance. It's disgusting.

Finally, I'm sorry you're even having to deal with this. If a woman can't have a baby in this country without worrying about her livelihood (and losing her home for god's sake!), we're just not civilized!! It comes down to this: do we want the human race to continue or not? If we do, women will have to have babies. People need to deal with it.

And I'm a Republican!!

[Anonymous]

agree with pp.
OP, ask your boss how he came into this world.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I think many non-profits run really close to the bone, especially now. So I can understand the other side of it. I expected to lose a few weeks worth of pay, but not this. I will have about 3 weeks of vacation/sick time by then, but according to my employer, my leaving is disruptive and not just any temp could step into taking over my job. They need to train the person on how to do it our way. He brought up so many reasons for thinking this whole thing is a nightmare: Training someone new, having no specific idea of when it would fall, that I could end up being really sick and not worth much the last trimester. He said the last time one of his employees was pregnant she was pretty tired and not doing her job for the last 3 or 4 months anyway. Either way, it made me feel better to hear some people believed being pregnant might work in my favor when interviewing. Thanks for all the advice.

[Anonymous]

OP, it might be in your best interest to check anyway with the county. It could be 1 employee and your boss could be at risk for a suit. BUT don't sue, just let him know what you have been told, and that you are willing to leave, but insist (gently ) on a good letter of reference as a way to end this cordially.
Please consider larger organizations or corporations in the future.

[Anonymous]

I was just laid off from my job at 29 weeks pregnant. The company is going through tough times but I had been through my first pregnancy with them a couple of years ago and never thought they would have the "heart" to do this. Due to the fact that workload has decreased, they have a stronger case than laying me off because they didn't want to have to keep me on payroll and (god forbid!) bring back a mom of two who will have life balance issues to contend with. It's pretty heartbreaking, and I really can empathise with you, OP. All I can say on an emotional level is to know that you wouldn't have wanted to stick around there once your life changes and you have the baby - if they're going to do this now, they would do worse once you are a Mom.
On a more rational level... in your field, can you do freelance or contract work for a few months?
Also, you can get in touch with the EEOC to find out the rules and regulations and if you have any options. And you can sign up for unemployment to get a (tiny) check pretty quickly.
All the best to you and your family. This, too, shall pass... somehow...

[Anonymous]

Call me pink, but this is why I support "welfare". When times are hard, what is so wrong with a check to get you by?

[Anonymous]

This is 18:39 poster again. It sounds like your boss made a knee-jerk response based on a previous negative experience with a pregnant employee. It's absurd to assume that you'll be useless your last 3-4 months at work. I worked my butt off till the day my water broke -- and I was in the labor bed with my blackberry taking care of some last-minute issues!

But because of a lazy predecessor, you now have to work extra-hard to convince your boss you're worth keeping!

When I told my boss I was pregnant, I went in with a written plan. I laid out exactly how much time I planned to take off, when I planned to start maternity leave, and how I would handle work once I came back. I even did a whole document of FAQ-type questions and answers -- questions I KNEW my boss would have -- and handed it to him. He was very impressed that I'd put so much thought and effort into it and ended up agreeing to everything I asked for.

So, maybe the answer is simply to go back to him with a well-thought-out plan -- in writing!! Brainstorm some cost-effective options for covering your work while you're on leave. Give him options. Maybe there's a coworker who could pick up a couple of your duties, then you could do a little work from home after a couple of weeks. (Which would be a nightmare, but if you want to hold on to your job, it might be worth it.)

There's a book that was helpful to me called, "The Working Mother's Guide to Life." It offered several strategies for these kinds of situations and helped me develop my own plan.

But I still think your boss is a jerk.