Mom penalized at work for putting child first
November 26th, 2008 by Dakota MomsBy LISA KRUSE - Lee News Service
I’m a working mom, and I have to admit I have it easy compared to other working moms.
For instance, if there is a snow day or if my child is ill, my job as a pastor allows me to stay home with him.
My best friend also is a working mom, and, like many working moms, doesn’t have it so easy. She works in the food industry and takes her job seriously. She takes on extra hours when a co-worker can’t be there and volunteers to work when the boss is in a pinch. She goes in early and stays late because she likes what she does. Her son started kindergarten this year, and she’s been enjoying the working hours without the day care bills.
But a few weeks ago her son got sick. He missed school, so consequently my friend missed work. Although she took him to the doctor and got an excuse to prove to her employer that she was taking care of an ill child, my friend was reprimanded for missing work. Her boss called her in for a meeting and asked her to sign papers acknowledging that she’d missed four days of work.
Her boss gave her a speech about finding care for her child so she can be at work. The boss told her to find a grandparent or have her husband or a friend watch the child. But it’s her husband’s job that pays the rent and provides health benefits for the family. And the grandparents either live out of town or work full time.
Honestly, what is a parent supposed to do in this situation? My friend was considered an exceptional employee until she took a few days to stay home and care for her sick boy. Now she is on probation at work.
It seems a mom can’t win. If she stays home to raise her children, some say she lives a life of luxury. If she chooses to work outside the home, she is judged for “paying someone else to raise her children.”
My friend’s job is important to her, but her family is her priority. I applaud her for that. It’s too bad her employer penalized her for it.
