'Laid Off At 8 Months Pregnant': Viral Reddit Post Sparks Outrage

A woman's recent Reddit post has revived the debate over pregnancy and workplace discrimination. The woman has been fired by her employer while she is eight months pregnant, the Reddit post claimed.

In a post shared three days ago, the woman revealed the layoff came amid a difficult pregnancy and her ongoing mental health struggles.

“Got the news yesterday. Have already been going through a rough pregnancy and mental health struggles. This doesn’t make it easier. Luckily, we aren’t hurting for money as my husband has a good job and I will be able to hop onto his insurance,” she noted.

Expressing deep disappointment over the situation, the woman said that she has not been able to “get over it and move on easily.”

“I’m also probably looking at a huge gap with my current state of health,” she added, referring to the potential employment gap due to the post-natal care period.

According to the woman, her pregnancy has likely played a role in the decision to lay her off. “I think my pregnancy was definitely a factor in this decision, but I’m not sure if I have the energy to fight it out,” she noted in the post, made in the r/layoffs community.

Sympathising over the incident, many people advised the woman to consult a lawyer and fight the decision. “This isn’t a moment to be 'lazy' to care. Otherwise, they will do this to someone else. Stand up for yourself and secure the bag,” a user commented.

Another highlighted that the company’s move is illegal. “Firing for pregnancy is against the law. I literally just watched that in sexual harassment training that is mandatory today,” the user noted.

Another user responded, noting that it's not easy to prove discrimination. “If she was the only person let go and not for performance reasons, then she has a case, but if it was part of a larger move or if there were documented performance issues, then it gets really hard to prove that her pregnancy was a factor,” the comment read.

Reacting to the comments, the woman said that while she believes she has a case, she is not sure about fighting it.

“I think I have a case. But I’m not sure if I have the energy to fight it. Plus, I don’t have proof,” she replied to the comments. She also noted that she tried to approach some lawyers, but most were unwilling to take up her case.

Sharing a similar experience, a user said that when she threatened her firm with a lawsuit, they offered to pay 20 weeks’ severance instead of the initially offered 12 weeks.