I was just let go from my company, what advice do you have?

Sam7Song · September 2017

I am 19 weeks pregnant today and this morning my boss informed me that we have to "part ways" because there is not enough revenue to support my salary. She knew I was pregnant and we had even discussed my maternity leave. I had no idea this was coming. I am looking for advice. My husband and dad say this can't be legal. I need to find a job, but who will hire me if I can only work for a few more months before giving birth? I had planned on working after giving birth to our son, now I don't know if someone will hire me. Any advice would be welcome. I am struggling with the shock of this and am probably not thinking clearly. Thank you.

SunflowerMama428 · September 2017

I mean you could hire a lawyer and sue for lost wages and wrongful termination but all they have to prove is that they don't have the revenue to supply your salary and it wouldn't yield anything but wasted lawyer fees. It's pretty shitty but unless they say your pregnancy is why they let you go it's hard to prove.

Some states offer short term disability for pregnancy and you should be able to collect unemployment. Not that these options are great.

after the baby is born you don't even have to tell your prospective employer that you have a child. Just give your availability and what you are looking for. It's illegal for them to ask personal questions in the hiring process.

Im sorry. That's a pretty horrible thing to do to a pregnant woman. I hope you at least let them know how shitty they are. Did they even offer you a severance?

Eta: spelling

wal2017 · September 2017

First of all, I'm so sorry to hear This. It's an awful thing for your employer to drop this on you at 19 weeks. My heart goes out to you because a layoff is just a crappy thing to go through.
Please talk to your HR office about options- they have to provide you with details about COBRA (if you are in the US and get healthcare benefits through the employer). They may also be able to give you some contact information for employment resources or disability resources.

Next, take heart- being 19 weeks pregnant does not disqualify you from finding another employment opportunity. Ask colleagues and supervisors for reference letters and start networking- you are being let go for budgetary issues, Not for performance problems-- so you should get people to put in a good word for you; references and connections go a long way!!!

Remeber - you do NOT have to disclose this pregnancy to potential employers, so when you interview for new jobs go in with confidence and don't worry that they will be hesitant to hire you because of the baby bump-- plenty of women have started jobs mid pregnancy, and many employers are smart enough to hire the best candidate regardless of "condition". If you are really worried about it, look into temporary roles that are 3-4 month positions; they often don't offer benefits but it could be a way to continue to get a paycheck without the concern of "how do I tell them I wont be around in 20 weeks?"

I work in HR so feel free to message me if you have any questions!

GoogleMD · September 2017

My last job hired someone at 34 weeks pregnant because they were looking at the long term and she was a great fit.

That being said deep breath. i got laid off unexpectedly in April I know how much this sucks.

File for unemployment, it may take a few weeks to start paying out.
Are they giving you any severance pay?
break down your budget, do you need to scale back?
In most states you can only collect if you are able to immediately pick up a full time position, so you won't be eligible for unemployment until medically cleared after delivery.

I thibk you can certainly find soemthing, can you reach out to some connections. Good companies won't avoid hiring you due to pregnancy. You still have 5 months before leave!

pandappanderson · September 2017

I got laid off at the end of July:( definitely apply immediately for assistance as it takes a couple weeks to kick in, and be aware if you receive pay out it could take longer to get money. I received two weeks pay plus two weeks vacation so I actually don't start receiving assistance until next week

i signed up with a temp agency as I figured it would be hard to get a full time job when you can only guarantee them a couple months, but don't count them out if you are a perfect fit they may want you anyway.

Good luck! It's tough for sure and not ideal but you can make it through.

mayapple44 · September 2017

No additional advice here, just wanted to say im so sorry you are going through this.

Realwife · September 2017

Were you eligible for FMLA protection? If so, and you were not yet fully approved but they knew you would be applying, that would potentially change the situation.

Im a TX lawyer, so can't give full legal advice outside of TX, but can tell you when it's wise to contact a local attorney!

ramzlau · September 2017

I concur with most people here that being 4/5 months pregnant won't keep you from being able to find a full time job. You may not be eligible for all the maternity leave benefits if you have been with a company less than a year, but really it varies from company to company. I started my new job at 8 weeks pregnant, and they have been nothing but supportive. You are only a few more months into it and most companies will be thinking long term.

Best of luck with the job hunting! It's always horrible to go through loss of job.

smorzandoj · September 2017

Were they completely eliminating the job title from the company or are there others with your same position? I would contact a lawyer at least for a consult to see. I know others have suggested differently but there are laws that protect you and if they can not prove they have eliminated your job title completely then they have to have documentation for reason to fire you which they didn't do bc they laid you off.

furmompromoted · September 2017

I also work in HR (in New York State) and was 12 weeks pregnant when I offered my current job.

I agree with a lot that everyone else said.
-Get connected with a temp agency. This is a great option to make uncommitted connections. A lot of times if you do well as a temp employee, the employer remembers that for when they have a full time position open up. And a lot of agencies do offer benefits through the agency itself.

-An employer cannot discriminate against hiring you because you are pregnant. But at the same time they may not be happy about it. And it can be very uncomfortable to have that conversation with your boss after.

-Definitely unemployment is an option since you were not terminated for performance issues. I know in my state you would probably get around 6 months to a year of benefits as long as you can prove that you are job searching. So you either get your benefits for that time or you find a job that is willing to look at your talent not your baby bump. It takes a lot of stress off.

Good luck dear!! Keep us updated!

lurvleybunchococonuts · September 2017

*Lurking from TTGP*
OP just wanted to chime in and say first of all that sucks, I'm so sorry to hear you're going through this during an already stressful time. Also, you don't have to disclose that you're pregnant when interviewing. The HR lady at my company was hired while she at the beginning of her 3rd trimester, she didn't disclose she was pregnant until a week or two after she started. She started in January and had her son in March, came back to work part-time in in June/July ( if I recall correctly) and back full-time about a month later. So it is do-able. FX you're able to find something soon

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