So I am 36 weeks out of 40 pregnant, and my pregnancy is high-risk. I worked part-time at a bakery starting at 14 weeks pregnant and it was awesome at first. I had been there 2 times before, my manager was incredibly accomodating with my pregnancy, and I love my coworkers. My awesome manager got transferred though, and a new one came in. I won't drag on about all the ways in which this manager has been awful towards me and others, but the way she treated my pregnancy can be summed up as uncaring and unsympathetic.
Normally, requesting off tons of days each week would be considered irresponsible… unless you're seeing 4 different specialists for your unborn baby, three of which are an hour out of town. Normally, calling off a couple times a month is considered too much… unless you're being denied days off you specified as important medical appointments. This manager knew everything about my pregnancy (I've never had any problem telling superiors what's going on and I'm pretty open about my health in general) and still refused to accomodate my needs over a part-time job. She kept scheduling me for 40-hour weeks at that.
She and I started having issue once I changed my availability to ensure she couldn't schedule me that much. Another big starting point of our issues is the first time I called off to prioritize my appointment over a 5-hour day… a day that I had requested off well over 2 weeks pior as per company policy. She started giving me a lot of attitude. Again I won't drag on about it but from that point I could not stand her. Sorry, but I'm not working 40 hours a week on $11 an hour in the midst of a very difficult and high-risk pregnancy, having been hired on as a part-timer with no special benefits. I very strongly feel that I am not crazy for thinking this way, despite she tried to make me feel guilty all the time.
To cut it short, I put in my slightly-less-than two weeks last week because I had finally gotten fed up. Long story short I had been in the hospital a couple weeks before because I stressed myself out into false labor at 33 weeks and my manager had tried to tell me my doctor's note for special accomodations wasn't going to fly. I was going to try and finish out the last couple weeks for the sakes of my amazing coworkers, but I ended up in the hospital again yesterday and my husband and I decided I should just cut the bullshit and call it quits.
I called the store feeling guilty. I don't want to mess over my coworkers. My manager picked up and when she asked who I was and I said my name, she said “of COURSE it is.” I went from feeling guilty to fuming so quick. She knew I had been in the hospital. She knew this was the second time. So I quickly told her I wasn't coming in anymore hoping that would be that and she asked why. I normally wouldn't have humored her but I was mad enough and reminded her I had been in the hospital TWICE pushing myself too hard and that I couldn't do it anymore. I told her my health and my baby's health is what matters the most to me and I refuse to risk it anymore. There was so much more I wanted to say, but I stopped myself short from getting anymore into it. Once I got off the phone, I was so relieved that 4-5 months of discrimination and general unhappiness due to my job was finally over. I'm texting my coworkers an apology and baking them goodbye cookies but I never want to see that manager again.
Sorry, I needed to rant to a group that might understand these issues. I'm glad it's over and advise that if you're being treated badly or your health concerns are being ignored… it's time to find a new job. DON'T STAY OUT OF GUILT FOR YOUR COWORKERS/FRIENDS.