She was told that the company "needed people who were going to be consistent and keep up with the fast-paced environment."
Trigger warning: This story mentions child loss and miscarriage which may be disturbing to readers.
According to the Mayo Clinic, around 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage, some of them go entirely unnoticed, making the actual number likely much higher.
But since it is not widely spoken about, most people have no idea of the kind of toll it takes anyone who suffers a miscarriage. So imagine the shock of a woman when she learned that not only did she lose her baby while at work, but she was also fired from work for the same reason.
"I can't believe I'm sitting outside writing this. I don't actually feel like this is the reality at all. Walmart can fire you for any reason by law so I guess this is on me," the user shared on Reddit's Anti Work thread.
The woman shared that she experienced a miscarriage at work and it got so bad that she had to be rushed to the ER. "I started hemorrhaging to the point where HR had to get me a change of clothes and called an emergency for me," she said. It was only in the ER that she found out she had a miscarriage.
As expected, the woman took a few days off work to recover and heal from the loss, and when she went back, she submitted proof as to why she was on leave. "I bring my medical records to work, and tell my supervisor why I have taken days off and she said ok." But, the supervisor "never even informed me of Sedgwick the online system where you have to call out and request sick time," she shared.
About a week later, she was informed by the supervisor that she was fired for taking time off work. She then requested a meeting with the store manager to talk about the abrupt and unfair decision.
"I have a meeting with him and he brings in the same HR lady who witnessed everything. I remind her what happened and this is the first time the store manager even finds out. She stood quiet the entire time he told me he needed people who were going to be consistent and keep up with the fast-paced environment," wrote the OP.
Unfortunately, it seems like the decision to fire her was the final one because there was an update from the woman: "I am a full-time student and this is my final semester before I get my degree. I really want to finish this no matter what. I want to fight this, but there is too much going on right now."
"Also, I appreciate and feel amazed at all the people who messaged to offer financial help, but I will not accept anything now that I have a family member who will help me out. I still have a lot of respect and love for those of you who are willing to give. I hope you guys stay safe. in the meantime, I will still do what I can to study up on labor laws."
People left comments sympathizing with the woman and blaming the American system for being so inconsiderate to someone who has just undergone great loss, but that's just how the world is. What do you have to say?
References:
https://www.reddit.com/r/antiwork/comments/tugq8v/i_got_fired_today_because_my_miscarriage_was_too/
Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | martin-dm
