I am new this group and was chatting with my friend about and curiously discussed posting her case here for further guidance. The company where my friend works (a lady with 2 kids below 5 years of age) has progressively gone worse over the last 2-3 years. The HR and management has gone downhill and a lot of new faces in management resulting in big upheaval. My friend was also moved to a new role and she is not making a lot and has not been promoted or received a raise in 2+ years even though she is is constantly rated amongst the highest performing employees. The management in the company has gone so bad that all decisions are being routed by one HR manager who is new in the company and calling all shots.
- My friend has 2 kids below the age of 5, so when the kids are ill from School or daycare, she may have to stay with them to care of the kid. Her husband helps out but when the kid is short of breath in 103 fever, they need their mom. Previously, they would allow parents, esp moms to take unpaid leave or work from home on such occasions, even though hers is not technically a WFH job really (still works on a laptop though).
- With this new HR person, they are not allowing any unpaid vacation to take care of sick kids and no work from home is allowed, even though management takes wfh 2+ days a week to take care of their pets even or even for unknown reasons.
- 2 weeks ago, when she went to work after having taken off for 2 days to tend to sick kids, her manager and HR made her sign a letter stating that this is a pattern for her to take leave and if this happens again, she would either need to leave her kids to someone else or quit the job. She presents a doctors note every single time the kids are sick, so its not a fake illness.
- My friend is also a foreign international and had requested an unpaid leave to tend to a family emergency back home for 1 week but was denied as “this was unfair to other employees”. Also, how can one leave their kids when in a foreign country with no family?
- Not to mention, she is the top most performing employee in her team every single month f, so her performance isn't impacted. Until recently, when all these petty issues are making her scared for her job and she is beginning to have anxiety issues, so obviously work is getting impacted.
I feel like they are making a case to let her go on the basis of taking leave to tend to her kids. But she sees people in her team and management taking off and WFH when their kids or pets are ill. Feels like they are singling her out, even though she is a high performing employee.
I work in a big company and lucky to have a manager who is considerate to personal issues. I was telling her that its completely unacceptable what they are doing to her on a humane and employee level. She cant count on her manager to stand by and support her.
My question is: Can they do that? Are there no labor laws around doing such a thing and how can she avail them?
Any feedback is appreciated.