“JT & Dale Talk Jobs” is the largest nationally syndicated career advice column in the country and can be found at JTandDale.com.
Dear J.T. & Dale: My friend had a job as a manager at a nursing home. She told her employer she was pregnant, and the next day she received notice she had 30 days to improve her performance or would be terminated. She had no previous disciplinary actions. Thirty days later, she was fired. She is now looking for work and needs advice. Her employer contested her unemployment claim, but she won. — Jennifer
J.T.: First, call the former employer and find out exactly what they will say if potential employers call. Most people will want to confirm her work history and pay, but they’ll also ask about her performance. Then, when going in for interviews, your friend should state the facts: She got pregnant and suddenly was told her performance didn’t measure up. I wouldn’t say any more about it. If pressed, she simply says she didn’t understand it, either.
Dale: There are facts, and then there are suspicions behind the facts. If the nursing home declines to offer a recommendation one way or the other — as is the policy with most employers these days — then I don’t see a reason to muddy the waters by bringing up her employer’s questionable timing and behavior. After all, most hiring managers tend to be suspicious and side with management. Besides, if she’s still pregnant and isn’t showing, she may not want to mention the pregnancy. So I would suggest she simply call it a layoff. From what we know, we’d surmise it was just that, even if the timing seems to suggest they called it something else to wiggle out of benefits.
J.T.: Either way, if she goes into interviews feeling angry or defensive, it will be that much harder. You sound like you’re a good friend, Jennifer, and you can be of most help to her by getting her excited about interviewing and the chance to find a great new and better employer.
Jeanine “J.T.” Tanner O’Donnell is a professional development specialist and the founder of the consulting firm, JTODonnell.com, and of the job search blog, CAREEREALISM.com. Dale Dauten resolves employment and other business disputes as a mediator with AgreementHouse.com.
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2 Comments
While I agree completely about the approach this job seeker should take in seeking new employment, I actually think this practice (at least as it’s described by Jennifer) sounds illegal. I hear about things like this and I’m blown away that it still occurs despite all of the strides that have been made with FMLA, workplace flexibility, HIPAA guidelines, etc.
Well, I guess this is just me but IF was got pregnant, I would NOT tell my employer.
I feel it is none of their business if I am pregnant or not. And from what I’ve learned in the past, many managers like to ask “Do you have kids” on an interview (as if, if you have kids, you can’t go to work?) I would only say something to my employer if I was showing and in the last trimester. Hiring managers should never ask “Do you have kids”. And I’ve seen it happen that some employees get “special treatment” (allowing mothers to come in later) so they can take their kids to school. I’ve seen it where single people have to come in 1-2 hours ealier to do the SAME JOB since the single person has no kids.
This is all illegal.
If you got a job to do and the requirements of the job state the hours of the job, then that person needs to come in. If you need to take your kids to school, may be find a different position within the company.