It’s been over a year now since I was let go from my job and I’m still so angry about how it happened. I worked in child welfare and I poured my heart and soul into my work. My agency was situated in the next town over from me so I was very isolated from my colleagues and any type of management. This left me to my own devices a lot of the time and I didn’t have the resources to do my job effectively. I stretched myself so thin. I took on extra roles just so I could ensure that this new agency didn’t crumble beneath me. I worked extra hours, I took on extra cases, I went above and beyond. My supervisor, who I could barely get on the phone, always said that I was doing a phenomenal job and that I’d go far in this field.
Then I announced my pregnancy. Within two weeks I was gone. To add insult to injury they ambushed me. I was asked to drive the two hours to main office (on my own dime) to visit with my supervisor. I didn’t think anything of it because we did it often enough and I figured we were due for a meeting. I woke up early, sick to my stomach with morning sickness, recently off my medication cold turkey for the baby (feeling very out of it), and began my drive. I walk into the room we typically always meet in and I see the director of the agency, my supervisor, and the head of HR. I knew then that this was not a normal meeting.
The reason they gave me is that my values don’t align with theirs. Huh? They said I wasn’t a good fit and that my performance was slipping. Well which is it? I look over at my supervisor, who I trusted entirely, and he couldn’t even look me in my eyes. I couldn’t help but burst into tears. I got up and walked out. I had to drive two hours home extremely upset and pregnant.
They even asked me while I walked away if I could go home and bring back all my work related items and documents.
I’m still shocked at how this happened. I thought about reporting them. But to who? I thought about suing them. But how? And with a baby now? I’m so angry still. When will it go away?