Couple Gets Fired Two Days After Their Wedding Because Groom Made a Complaint About a Supervisor Mocking His Disability

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Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Aug 1, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

Working with your partner is a unique situation that not many couples find themselves in. More often than not, if couples do work together, it's because they met at work. Much like living with your partner, things can get a little awkward if you split while you're working at the same place. Luckily, this is not a story of that. This is much, much more sinister. 

A couple who worked together (and told HR that they are a couple before they got hired) at a research clinic requested unpaid time off for their wedding. After their wedding, they came back to the clinic just to get chewed out by their boss for "abandoning their jobs" and not telling him that they were a couple. He asked them to turn in their keycards, which is the kiss of death in firings. Worse than that, it looks like this might be a retaliation firing since the husband had recently put in a complaint about a supervisor mocking his disability. All around, this story is an absolute mess, and nobody deserves to spend their honeymoon phase like this. 

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  • 01
    Font - r/antiwork u/enduring_front • 3d Fired two days after my wedding My wife and I have been working at this research clinic since April. It was both of our first jobs after college and we planned on being there a while. When we started we disclosed to HR that we were a couple and they didn't have a problem with it and even helped us with some documents we needed for name changes.
    via u/enduring_front
  • 02
    Font - One month before the wedding we put in a request for unpaid time off, and it was approved just before we left. That was also the day I put in a complaint about a supervisor making fun of my disability.
    via u/enduring_front
  • 03
    Font - So we come back to work yesterday and everything is fine, good even. Worked today too until an hour ago. My boss calls me and my wife in. Yell at us for being irresponsible, for not telling him that we were a couple, and that we abandoned our jobs (which I accused him of not being truthful because we were obviously being fired since he was asking us to turn in our keycards). He goes on an on for an hour while we just sit there trying to talk to him. Finally we both decided to just walk ou
    via u/enduring_front
  • 04
    Handwriting - Edit: out of curiosity I reached out to my direct supervisor and some other people over me and they were all shocked by the news. This manager just lost it ig.
    via u/enduring_front
  • 05
    Font - umassmza ● 3d Did you CC yourself on the disability complaint? Because you being that to an employment lawyer tomorrow if you can back it up. ... Reply 2.7k
    via u/umassmza
  • 06
    Rectangle - Electronic_Gas_9502 ● • 3d Maybe it's in your sent folder still if it's an email 646 ...
    via u/Electronic_Gas_9502
  • 07
    Font - anonymousmatt. 3d Would it be a bad idea to call HR? Sounds like manager retaliation to be and HR probably didn't sanction it. "Turn in your key card" is synonymous with termination or suspension. A lawyer would be a good idea, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to contact your boss's boss or HR to file a complaint for being fired for your disability and marital status.
    via u/anonymousmatt
  • 08
    Font - Given HR knew from the beginning that you and your wife were romantically involved and he mentioned your disability in any way just before firing you and your wife, I'm gonna bet HR would be on your side. They'll likely remove your boss from management or the company, offer you and your wife your positions back, and maybe give you compensation in one way or another to prevent you from filing a complaint with the EEOC or ADA or filing suit. (By the way, you would file a discrimination comp
    via u/anonymousmatt
  • 09
    Font - Edit: If you file a complaint with HR or mgmt of the company, be very careful that you don't state or imply any wrongdoing that would give them cause. You're both angels that did nothing offensive, damaging, against the rules, taunting, etc. In fact, don't even mention any actions, thoughts, or feelings after being asked to turn in your key cards. Their job is to protect the company against liability. They know the company is liable for any wrongdoing by it's officers (mgmt) whether or no
    via u/anonymousmatt
  • 10
    Font - ArgyleNudge • 3d Please find a lawyer. Initial consults are most often free. Take caution in any discussion with HR, document everything, contact them by email, not phone. If they want to call you, let them know you will be recording the call and creating a transcript. (Though I believe it is better to refuse the call and have your legal representative deal with them.) They are representatives of the company, where you no longer work. Their function is to serve the interests of the compan
    via u/ArgyleNudge
  • 11
    Rectangle - Cassierae87. 3d 1 Award Both file for unemployment and get an attorney Reply 5.1k
    via u/Cassierae87
  • 12
    Rectangle - CristinaKeller • 3d File for unemployment right away as some states make you wait a week. ... 1.4k
    via u/CristinaKeller
  • 13
    Font - DBCOOPER888 • 3d So both the relationship and time off was approved, and there's a disability complaint? Consulting a lawyer sounds like an option. Likely retaliation. Reply 1.6k
    via u/DBCOOPER888
  • 14
    Font - enduring_front OP • 3d Yeah I talked to a lawyer in my family and they said it sounded really wierd. This manager was really off too. Yelling and freaking out. Glad I would always walk into his office in the morning and ask how I could help ... 4 720
    via u/enduring_front
  • 15
    Font - quintonbanana • 3d Talk to an employment lawyer specifically if you didn't. 260
    via u/quintonbanana
  • 16
    Rectangle - Own-Brilliant3838 • 3d My husband got fired (for something he didn't do) when our premie (2mo early) was in the NICU, and I was in ICU from a stroke! ... Reply 148
    via u/Own-Brilliant3838
  • 17
    Font - enduring_front OP • 3d Damn. I hope you all all doing great now ... 70
    via u/enduring_front
  • 18
    Rectangle - Own-Brilliant3838 • 3d Yes, almost 14 years later and we are all doing well, thank you A 74 74
    via u/Own-Brilliant3838

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couple couples fired fire manager management work workplace managers antiwork toxic-workplace toxic-boss toxic-work-environment toxic-management toxic-manager
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