I just got to take my daughter home after 84 days of being in the NICU. She was born 3 months early at 27 weeks. A coworker of mine recently quit unexpectedly, and I offered to cover his shifts on the condition that when my daughter was able to come home with us, that I'd be able to take some time off to be with her and my partner. The day came that the doctors told us we'd be able to take her home with us, and I let my boss know that and that I needed some time with my family, and his response was, “This really puts us in a bind with your coworker quitting unexpectedly. Theres no one to cover shifts at the moment, so we'll need you to come in.” I got to have one day at home with my daughter and family before having to return to work.
I've been dealing with an unknown infection for a few weeks prior to my daughter coming home that is extremely painful. I recently passed a kidney stone and have been working through all of this to support my family since my partner hasn't been able to work after giving birth and requiring post partum surgery back in December. I feel forced to continue working for this $16/hr job until I can find something better. As soon as I can find a better paying job that will work with my schedule and circumstances, I'm going to be quitting this job. Its simply not worth my time anymore. There is a complete lack of respect, trust, and honesty at this point. I'm tired, and angry, but I also need to continue supporting my family.