Sometimes, the process of giving birth is challenging because there is not much help available. Mothers even have to work until the last weeks of pregnancy. Yet, many fathers do not always have that “free” time to help their wives and newborns adapt to this huge change in family dynamics. Despite all these complications, there are companies like the one in this Reddit post, which fired one of its employees in Georgia because he is about to become a father. This is a low blow and one of the worst times for this family.
Redditor Lower-Armadillo-1201 went to r/legaladvice because the company her husband was working for recently told him he was being laid off. The company explained that it was due to cost-cutting measures that involved eliminating certain positions among its employees. However, OP’s husband was the only one who became unemployed from his team. The strangest thing is that the HR representative of this company in Georgia made a video call to this employee about becoming a father, just as he had handed in all the paperwork for his paternity leave.
OP also says that the company wants her husband to “sign a liability waiver to receive 3 weeks of SUB payments to supplement his unemployment.” Due to the company’s questionable actions, this wife sought help from Redditors. Luckily, OP got many great comments like this one:
Don’t sign that waiver immediately. Seriously, do NOT. That waiver is designed to protect them from any legal action you might take. Three weeks of SUB payments is chump change if they’ve actually violated his rights. What he signed off on was a request for leave under FMLA, which protects him from being fired because he took leave. The timing is super suspicious, and it sounds like he was laid off because of the impending paternity leave, not for legitimate cost-cutting.
mycupsareA
Most of the comments not only advise, but also ask OP and her husband to consult with a lawyer specialized in the matter. All agree that the paternity leave and termination papers arrived within a short time of each other, making it look suspicious. Fortunately, OP mentioned that she has her health insurance. In the meantime, she is safe and will be well set for when the baby arrives in a couple of weeks.
