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Chief
This shouldn’t be news to people but it is.
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Rising Star
Do they know you are pregnant? If not, disclosing may offer you protection
Make sure they know you’re pregnant. Start keeping all emails (especially ones where they try to blame you for something you didn’t do) and a journal with times, dates, and what was discussed.
Ride it out as long as you can. Let them fire you. You’ll need all that proof when you hire an employment attorney to sue the hell out of them.
Sorry you’re going through this.
You won’t even have to sue. A well worded letter explaining how you were wronged often opens the wallet
I’m sorry you’re going through that. I would wait it out, take your maternity leave and see if you even want to go back., it’s not fair that mothers feel like they should go back to work, especially after three months, but I know a lot of families probably need two incomes. I’m always telling mothers to stay with the baby as long as they can, and survive off the spouse until you feel like you can go back. I have an 11 month old and a 3 year old for reference.
This is the answer! I wasn’t ready to go back, but did anyway (still with my 4 month old at home because of insane daycare waitlists), a round of layoffs came through a couple of weeks later and I found myself wishing one of them would be me. I ended up being part of another wave of layoffs 5 months later and it was the best thing to happen to me. It forced me to face the reality that I wasn’t ready to go back and got to (very very fortunately) ease back into the workforce with freelance work and then eventually a contract to full time job after my son was in daycare.
Do both. If you find an agency who will hire you while pregnant and ok with your mat leave then go with them. If not stretch your current situation as long as possible. Look into FMLA law to see what you are entitled to. Keep your benefits because when baby is born you want them to be on that good health insurance and you would have cobra for at least 18 months.
Unless the entire dept, group is being let go, it would be hard for them to justify. Take the leave and if/when deal with it at that point. You need to come back, even for a week. Do you get paid out for accrued but not used? If you come back you’re likely to get severance and eligibility for unemployment. Don’t let them off the hook. Verify if they have a separation policy. If not, you can use your pregnancy to get more out of them.
Couple of steps you need to take:
- Engage an attorney experienced with labor rights, the ADA, and (ideally) maternity regulations
- Document everything including emails and contemporaneous notes to a private device
- Start looking for a new job
The last point is listed because you really don’t want to stay with this employer, regardless of whether you take legal action or not. However, you need to have that option available to you - so protect yourself!!!
Chief
Let them fire you then leave with a lawsuit 💰
As others have said, make sure to disclose but also don’t give any other information to HR. Remember HR exists to protect the agency and executives from liability not you.
Chief
Trying?
Depending on what conversations are being had it might help to have a consult with an employment attorney. They can help advise on what kind of evidence you’d need should you need to make a claim. I’m sorry you’re going through this.
Tell them ASAP! Stay as long as possible to get that maternity leave and more importantly if your health insurance is under them… insurance is already a mess and giving birth is unfortunately a fortune here in US 😭
Which agency? It helps to know which agencies are the losers.