A pregnant woman was stunned when her boss fired her via text message after she announced she was expecting a child.
Amy from Melbourne had been working for a technology company for just four months when she experienced the abrupt layoff on February 6.
The 29-year-old woman was about to go to work one morning and noticed a text message appear on her phone after getting into her car.
To her horror, her employer notified her that she no longer had a job “due to excessive sick leave.”
The U.K. native, who became pregnant in November, recently uploaded a video to TikTok to reveal her boss’s brutal text message.
“Good morning Amy, I’m not sure if you are working today. We have decided to suspend your employment due to excessive sick leave as you are still in your probationary period,” the text read.
Amy (pictured), 29, was about to go to work one morning and noticed a text message appear on her phone after getting into her car. To her horror, her employer notified her that she no longer had a job “due to excessive sick leave.”
‘Please return your work items, monitors, laptops, etc.’
Amy’s boss said they would send her a formal letter informing her that she had been fired.
She said in the Tiktok video that she had emailed her boss with a medical certificate the day before, explaining that she was “suffering from a pregnancy-related illness” and could not go to work.
She was fired the next day.
Amy told Daily Mail Australia she received the news at 7.47am, just as she was about to head into work to start her shift at 9am.
“There’s no human resources department there, no one to tell, and my boss was out until Christmas,” she said.
‘I don’t know who I was supposed to tell.
Amy, who was still on her probationary period at the company, said she couldn’t believe the way she was fired.
‘Even if you fire someone for taking sick leave, it’s a big no, no, you can’t do that.
Amy (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia she was left in disbelief at the way her boss had informed her she had been fired.
The 29-year-old UK native received the text (pictured) from her boss just before she started her shift at 9 a.m.
Amy said she’s not sure she wants to take her matter to court.
“I think it’s important for other women to know that they have rights,” she said.
‘It’s 2024 and employers can go ahead and do whatever they want just because you’re pregnant or on parole or whatever they see fit.
“Employers should consult with HR or legal representatives before doing anything rash.”
Hundreds of users commented on Amy’s post and urged her to take her case to court.
“Keep all the evidence and sue for wrongful dismissal,” said one user.
‘Go to Fair Work (Commission). “This happened to me during my pregnancy last year and I won my court case,” wrote another.
“I’m so sorry you have to deal with this while you’re unwell and preparing to have a baby.”
Employees who are pregnant cannot be dismissed or discriminated against under Australia’s Fair Work Act.
Pregnant staff have the right to take sick leave while at work if they suffer a pregnancy-related illness or injury.
Workers can take up to six weeks of unpaid parental leave before the birth of their child.
A person who is still on probation is entitled to leave and can also make a claim for unfair dismissal like any other worker.