Boss declines pregnant employee's requests for accommodation a week before her due date, HR steps in and grants her leave immediately

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jun 8, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

It's often said that HR is never on your side, but is merely there to maintain an equilibrium that will prevent the organization from opening itself to vulnerability or liability. They are there to manage the "human" resources of the company, and—well, that's you.

Still, in instances where you're dealing with someone in the organization—be it a boss, coworker, or other party—who is so incredibly off base with their actions or reasoning, then it just makes sense to go to HR and help them see you through. That's how it was for this pregnant worker who, one week out from her due date, approached her boss to request what she felt to be reasonable accommodation in light of the physical hardships she was experiencing from her pregnancy. When her reasoning fell on deaf ears and her requests were rudely dismissed she consulted HR who placed her on maternity leave immediately, leaving her slack-jawed boss scrambling to plug the hole in staffing that their own obstinance had created. 

Below, see the worker's account of events, along with reactions from the readers in the original thread where her story was originally shared.

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  • 01
    "I later found out [that my boss] had to pick up all the extra work and a lot of it never got done since she didn't have time.."
    via Camylla Battani
  • 02
    r/ r/MaliciousCompliance 2 h Petite PeachPep I should talk to HR about leave if I'm legitimately having trouble at work 1 week before my due date? Sure thing boss. M This happened last year. I (F31) was 1 week away from my due date and was working full time in a school administration position. At this time I had the capability to work from home if needed (ex. too sick to come in to
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 03
    work, catchup on extra work, unable to secure daycare for my child, etc). When I accepted the position (prior to my pregnancy) I was told by my boss (let's call her Ronnie) that it was very flexible as long as I got my hours in. I very rarely worked from home and typically only did so for an hour or two in the morning if it was needed later on in order to work before obgyn. appointments as it was a long
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 04
    commute between work and home/dr. office. However, I was told by Ronnie after accepting the position to try and limit WFH to 2 days a month, which fine, at this point I was well under since I was only working an hour or two maybe twice a month, and only once a month before that.
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 05
    Being so close to my due date, I was experiencing physical hardships that made working on site more and more difficult such as dizzy spells, a pulled tendon in my foot, and severe back pain. I was also scared of potentially going into labor while at work with it being so far away from the hospital my obgyn delivers at. To top it all off, my coworkers started asking more invasive questions about my pregnancy that made me uncomfortable. All in all, it was not a fun time.
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 06
    I explained all of this in an email to Ronnie and asked for her permission to almost exclusively work from home up until I go into labor. I said I thought it would be a reasonable accommodation and I work really well from home.
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 07
    Ronnie responded a couple days later denying my request to work from home at all and said I needed to be there since we would be starting some of our busiest work in a couple months (which I would be gone for on maternity leave anyways, so I'm not sure why she brought it up...), but I could talk to HR about leave options if I am truly having trouble working. (BTW, it is illegal in my state to require an employee to take leave if there is a reasonable accommodation that can be made instead). Cue
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 08
    I immediately went to HR and did just that. We talked about options and found out I could start my leave the very next day and still be paid state mandatory leave pay for the extra time. I informed Ronnie that I would be out starting the next day as I needed to take care of myself. She said, "I understand you need to do what's best for you, but you need to understand that I need to do what's best for the team".
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 09
    So, ya, everything I normally managed in my absence basically went to as the other people on the team weren't qualified to do the work and kept taking time off leading up to my due date instead of learning the basics while I was still there to teach them. I left detailed procedure notes and workflow lists, but I later found out Ronnie had to pick up all the extra work and a lot of it never got done since she didn't have time. But it was best for the team right boss?
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 10
    . Pizza_Lvr 2h ago to ! Good for you OP! I'm glad you got some well deserved paid time off to rest before the baby got here
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 11
    revchewie • 2h ago "I need to do what's best for the team." And apparently it's better to not have you work at all than to have you work from home. Manglement can be so effing stupid!
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 12
    frozenflame101 . 2h ago Wait, you were expected to be working 1 week before your due date? Is this normal where you are? I swear people here normally start pregnancy leave 3-4 weeks ahead of their due date. In part, I'm sure, because going into labour at work sounds like a great way to generate avoidable paperwork
    via PetitePeachPep
  • 13
    . Frogsama86 • 46m ago Had a manager ask a colleague of she could delay her due date by 2 weeks. The stares he got was hilarious.
    via PetitePeachPep

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workplace discussion workplace-stories jobs employment-discussion hr job malicious compliance work human resources workplace Horrible Bosses bad bosses workplace malicious compliance employment in the workplace pregnancy women in the workplace motherhood pregnant
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