Emotions tend to run high when an expectant mother goes into labor. There’s plenty of excitement but also some nerves. Thankfully, most moms don’t have to worry about anything other than their baby and giving birth.
For one mom, that wasn’t the case. Her boss actually left her a voicemail asking if she could work while laboring.
After letting her boss know she went into labor, a woman’s boss asked if she could still come to work.
A TikTok content creator named Jennifer shares pieces of her life “just because,” according to her bio. One part of her life that she shared was so outrageous that it garnered over one million views.
“Throwback to when I called into work because I was in labor and my boss called to say she was excited/ask me to still come into work if contractions stopped,” Jennifer said of the video.
In the TikTok, Jennifer shared a recording of the voicemail that her boss, Jamie, left her after she called out of work.
“Hey, Jennifer. It’s Jamie,” she began. “Uh, just got your voicemail and saw your text.”
“Um, it’s kind of exciting!” Jamie continued, which seemed to be a major understatement. “Hopefully, you, uh, are doing okay, and the baby is gonna make his or her grand entrance and put you out of your misery, so you’re not suffering.”
Jamie went on to say, “Um, let me know how things are going, and let me know what your doctor says.”
On the surface, this seemed to be a kind thing for the boss to say. After all, many supervisors don’t concern themselves with the details of their employees’ lives. However, Jamie had an ulterior motive.
“If at all you can work today, and contractions, like, stop and you feel okay, let me know because I can definitely use your help,” she said. “Um, if not, I understand,” she clarified. “I’ve been there. Um, but just keep me posted, okay?”
Jamie tried to end the voicemail on a high note, saying, “We’re all very excited, so let me know.”
Fellow TikTokers couldn’t believe what they had heard.
Others on TikTok were shocked to hear Jamie ask that Jennifer come to work if possible. She certainly started off the voicemail with compassion, which made the question regarding work all the more jarring.
“The way I would’ve immediately quit,” one person said.
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For the record, Jennifer replied to a comment and said that she did put in her two weeks notice after this incident. “She still asked if I can stay with them as an on-call employee,” she stated.
Someone else said, “And the thing is, bosses like this are completely clueless as to why the morale in the office is so low.”
Some wondered if this was legally acceptable.
One TikToker brought up a very important point in the comments section. “This has got to be illegal,” they said.
As it turns out, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)it is.
The DOL noted two different policies that make forcing a woman in labor to work illegal.
“The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) requires covered employers to provide ‘reasonable accommodations’ to a worker’s known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, unless the accommodation will cause the employer an ‘undue hardship,’” the DOL said.
Surely, getting someone to cover Jennifer’s work while she was giving birth was not an “undue hardship.”
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Furthermore, the DOL also said, “The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides a right to unpaid, job-protected leave for the baby’s birth … This right is afforded not only for the birth, but for an extended time to bond with the child within the first year after birth or placement.”
While Jamie might have been desperate for staff, what she suggested was ultimately illegal.
You can’t ask an employee to work while they’re in labor. And, really, why would you want to?
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
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